


Unknown Subject

by rennerfan_1



Category: Rizzoli & Isles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-02-10 04:49:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2011500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rennerfan_1/pseuds/rennerfan_1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Feedback would be most appreciated guys!</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Dr Maura Isles and her deputy medical examiner, Gavin Crawford are sitting on one side or Maura's desk as they wait for one of the junior medical examiners, an assistant who had the same responsibilities as Maura and Gavin, but it was them who had the final say in any investigation that came into their office. As usual, Danny Taylor is late and like every other time, he didn't bother to call and let his bosses know. Eventually the cocky thirty-three year old waltzes into the office without a reason or an apology for his late arrival and sits down across from them, his posture relaxed and confident.

"Danny, do you know why we invited you here for this meeting?" Gavin Crawford asks as he looks up at the young assistant medical examiner.

"All I got told was that a complaint had been made." Taylor answers with a shrug. "Oh, and something else about my work."

"You're right on both accounts." Maura adds as she sits forward, leaning on her desk with her forearms. "Joe Bryant's family made a complaint against you regarding your conduct when they arranged an appointment to see you. Do you remember the case?"

"Bryant?" Danny asks, unsure.

"He was the suspicious death that you investigated, a seventy-eight year old male who was found in his home." Maura continues. "You stated that the cause of death was cardiac arrest. Is that still your diagnosis?"

"Of course it is. Dr Isles, exactly where is this going?" The younger man asks with growing irritation at being questioned.

"Danny, the family of Mr Bryant made a complaint and that is what we are going to deal with first." Crawford replies calmly. "Lucy Bryant, the deceased's daughter was offended and upset by your behaviour. She said you attempted to make jokes that were inappropriate and offensive, given that she has just lost her father."

Maura and Gavin both know exactly what had been said to Lucy Bryant by Taylor because a staff member heard it and also complained.

"Look, I was trying to defuse the tension." Danny argues."That's all it was."

"It doesn't matter whether you were trying to defuse the tension or not, Danny." Maura interjects her authority and dislike for his lack of good judgement. "Someone had just lost their father and you were completely inappropriate. Lucy Bryant told us that you had passed a comment regarding her father, calling him an old stiff and she would be one step closer to his inheritance. Is that true?"

Danny Taylor sighs and nods, finally admitting that he was in the wrong to make the comments and admitted that they were tasteless. He realises now that he had made a huge mistake and offered his sincerest apologies, but they were noticeably forced.

"I expect you to make an in-person apology to Lucy Bryant tomorrow morning." Gavin says sternly and the young man nods.

"There is also a second issue that is much more serious." Maura says and sighs. "The investigation into Mr Bryant's death. What can you tell us about it?"

"Joe Bryant died of cardiac arrest." Danny says dryly. "It's all in the report."

"Well, you will see that your report doesn't make any sense when there is no medical history of having heart problems and the tests result show that the heart was healthy." She explains. "Why didn't you take bloods or x-rays?"

"Taking bloods weren't a priority and using x-ray film would have been a waste of resources." Taylor says evenly, annoyed.

"That's where you're wrong." Gavin Crawford says and his temper is quickly simmering harder and harder."What about the head injury to Mr Bryant?"

"Caused by the fall when his heart quit." Danny argues.

"Again, you were mistaken. The toxicology results show that Mr Joe Bryant had ingested a large quantity of weed killer, some having rotted his lungs." Crawford adds and doesn't break eye contact with Danny. "The x-ray shows that Mr Bryant suffered a brain Hemorrhage that killed him, due to blunt force trauma. The weapon was found in his garbage. So, you didn't bother to properly investigate the death and called it a natural cause of death when it was a homicide."

A silence fills the office and the  
occasional shriek of a telephone in an office near by does little to break the atmosphere. Maura is scribbling down notes and checks to see if the tape recorder is still recording as Danny tries to think of something to say to cover himself.

"What's going to happen now?" Danny asks.

"Dr Crawford and I have both discussed this and we've came to the decision that you will be suspended for two weeks without pay while your disciplinary moves up." Maura explains. "We have no other alternative and we recommend an instant dismissal for your misconduct."

"Don't you think that's harsh for one mistake?" Taylor snaps.

"Actually, this isn't the first time you've been pulled into meetings with Maura or I." Crawford adds."You've been given too many chances after the mistakes you've made and frankly, the office doesn't need or want your services." 

 

Maura rubs her temples as she tries to calm herself after the explosive outburst from Danny Taylor. He realised that he would not only lose his job, but his record had several discussions and warnings over his behaviour and professionalism, or lack of it in the work place. Once before he had even lost evidence in a homicide and had refused to attend a scene in which he was called out and then there were the complaints from the staff, visitors and authorities alike. But Dr Isles and Dr Crawford's hands are finally tied after trying to reason and educate Danny in what is appropriate, ethical and acceptable. Now, the complaints and evergrowing issues would be passed up to Maura's boss and then a panel would be selected pending a formal investigation and disciplinary hearing with the consequences stricter than he had ever faced before. 

 

Detective Jane Rizzoli had been waiting for more than twenty minutes  
when the Chief medical examiner finally emerged from her office, wearing a weary expression, following out one of the junior medical examiners.

"Is this a bad time?" Jane asks, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

"No, it's fine. We're just finishing up. Give me ten minutes." Maura answers and then turns to the security guard who is standing by the water cooler."Jed, can you escort Danny off the premises?"

"Sure thing, ma'am." The guard answers and places a thick meaty hand on Danny's upper arm. "Let's go." 

"I'm not letting this go!" Danny Taylor hollers as he is led away. "I'll get you for this."

Composed, Maura shakes her head and sighs as her colleagues busy themselves with their work and Dr Crawford briefly says hello and goodbye to Jane.

"I was really expecting him to say that he was going to get you and your little dog too." Jane says sarcastically, amused by her own joke.

"If I had a dog I'm pretty sure he would."

"Was that about that thing we talked about?" The detective asks quietly, discreet.

"It was and he claims he's done nothing wrong."

"That's usually the story." Jane agrees and follows Maura into her office. "So what happens now?"

The medical examiner busily shuffles papers together and locks them in her desk drawers, checking the locks on the filing cabinets as she pushes back her maine of golden brown hair out of the way, logging out of the computer at her desk.

"Well, how we are hoping it goes is that Danny will be tried in front of the disciplinary panel and then told he is no longer allowed to practice, with our recommendation." Maura replies."Which means he won't be able to serve any medical examiner's office in the state."

"But he can go to....say, California or Texas?"

"That is one of the drawbacks and if it was up to me, any future employer, especially the ME's office would know." The doctor says bitterly and pulls on her jacket and slides a few files into her briefcase. "What's really disturbing is the fact that he was so quick to write the Bryant case as a natural death when it was a homicide."

"And it's making you how many times this has happened before?"

"Exactly." Maura agrees. "And how many families are put through hell when they know it isn't as black and white as they were told. Some families know that their loved ones would never commit suicide, and how many homicides have been misdiagnosed as a straightforward suicide?"

"And now you're wondering if this has happened before, right?"

"I can't help but wonder if this wasn't the first time, Jane and a lot of people would say it didn't matter, but it does." She sighs and locks the door to her office behind her. "If he's making mistakes, deliberate or accidental, then I wonder how many people were wrongly accused of crimes they didn't commit or how many people got away with it."

***

Jane Rizzoli sighs softly and smiles as the fruity burst of wine attacks her tastebuds, always enjoying that first sip a little too much while her friend scours the menu. For once Jane had been allowed to pick where they ate and she chose Sam's, a little restaurant that does a bit of everything and she is relieved when the waitress asks her if she wants the usual once her friend orders.

"I'll have the chicken ceased salad, thank you." Maura addresses the waitress and then puts the menu away, taking a sip of wine. "So what exactly is this usual order you have?"

"Uh uh, I'm not telling you because you're only going to lecture me on my diet and then tell me what my insides are going to look like. My lips are sealed."

"I would have thought you would have been grateful to have someone looking out for your dietary needs." Maura answers seriously and raises her glass to her lips. "You do drink coffee all day with all that sugar and then all those takeouts on the run is going to leave you with some serious damage."

"Hey, I use sweetners in my coffee now and I don't have time to look for the best option out there."

"You could always prepare your lunch the night before and keep it in the fridge." The doctor suggests. "You know, a little ham salad or some crackers and pate or even some spiced couscous."

"Maura, I appreciate the advice but I can make my own decisions. And anyway, it's not like I'm sitting around all day. And most of the time I'm nowhere near the precinct."

Maura nods curtly and glances around the restaurant, admiring the suddenly good taste that Jane has suddenly developed and this place beats Foley's, their usual haunt where most off-duty cops and retired veterans spent their hard earned dollars. The decor is light in cream and nutmeg white, dressed tables and conversation surrounds them as the waiting staff tend their tables and the diners eat and drink.

"I didn't think this was your kind of place." 

"And what gave you that idea?" Jane retorts, smirking inwardly and knowing fine what Maura meant but wanted her to say it anyway.

"Just the way you come across as one of the guys, choosing a more....masculine and direct approach than cautious and feminine."

Jane doesn't know whether to be offended or laugh at the statement.

"Are you saying I can't be classy, Maura?" 

"No.....well, yes." Maura answers quickly. "You know what I mean."

"No, I don't know what you mean."

Before Maura has a chance to answer, she is saved by her ringing cellphone and she quietly breathes a sigh of relief as she checks the caller I.D and mouths to Jane that it's the control room. While she is on the phone, Jane takes the opportunity to munch on a bread stick and takes a generous sip of wine as she glances around the restaurant, wondering what the call is about and hopes it's nothing important. Maura hangs up and is already grabbing her bag and coat as she signals for the waitress to explain and apologize their change of plans.

"Whats going on, Maura?"

"A body's been found and we're both needed." She answers quickly. "By the sounds of if, it isn't good."


	2. Chapter 2

Detectives Barry Frost and Vince Korsak are already at the crime scene when Maura and Jane arrive, having already pushed through the crowd of curious onlookers and then duck under the police tape, treading carefully into the mouth of the alleyway. Lights have already been set up so everyone can see what they are looking at and to prevent any evidence being compromised by careless feet and Maura is relieved to see that a tarpaulin sheet has been put up to stop any of the onlookers from seeing a gruesome scene.

"You two took your time." Korsak says sarcastically. "I was thinking we were going to be abandoned out here all night."

"We came as quick as we could." Jane answers in her usual dry, but irritated tone. 

Maura, professional as ever opens her crime scene kit and looks over at the techs from her office who collect crime scene evidence and process the scene. She has worked with them for a number of years and trusts their judgement calls and already knows they haven't touched the scene yet, but have marked points of interest with green markets, most of them would be next to the police's yellow ones. The medical examiner gets to work and records her initial findings and interpretation of the scene in an audio recorder.

"What do we have so far?" Jane asks Korsak and Frost, crossing her arms over her chest as she tries to imagine what had gone on here.

"A drunk guy splits off from his girlfriend to come up the alley, said the bar staff wouldn't let him go back in to use the bathroom so he improvised." Barry Frost explains."Sounds like he was more worried about being fined for peeing in a public place."

"And how did he discover the body?" Jane asks.

"He said he stumbled over something and didn't think anything of it until he was coming back down to meet his girlfriend, then he remembered he tripped and used the video camera on his cell as a light." Frost tells her and she nods as he talks. "He said he saw a foot coming out from underneath some trash bags. He moved a couple of them thinking that an addict had passed out and he knew by the look of her that she was dead."

"Did he check for a pulse, any signs of life?" The female detective asks curiously and glances at Maura who is doing her thing.

"He said he didn't need to." Korsak adds. "Said he remembers what his dead grandmother looked like before she was buried and that's exactly how she looked, dead as a doornail."

"Can't say fairer than that." Jane agrees and looks around. "Did anyone across the street hear or see anything?"

"The bar the couple were at is further down the street and uniform are collecting names and addresses." Frost tells her. "We figured that it's best interviewing them sober and not how they are now."

"Good idea." She says and sighs."What about those apartments on either side of the alleyway?"

"We're looking into it since the entry point is down that way at the back." Korsak adds and points down the very far end of the alleyway, going on to explain that the flats are all on the second level of the building over old abandoned shops. "We did knock on the doors, but no one is answering. They'll get checked out first thing."

Jane Rizolli agrees and turns her attention to the body, stepping closer and shinning a flashlight over the young woman. Maura is still making notes as is taking pictures of the body in situ, doing her everything to preserve evidence that could have been left behind. The first thing Jane notices is the gold crucifix around the young woman's neck, blood having clotted over her skin and in the chain of the necklace and the second is that a small handbag is also laying next to her and looks completely untouched. That, however can't be said for the poor woman who had been viciously murdered. 

"What can you tell us, Maura?" Korsak asks, glad to see that she has done all she can for the time being.

"At the moment, all I can say is that this poor woman has sustained some very serious injuries which are consistent with stab victims and her torso seems to be the only area targeted." Maura answers, shinning a penlight over the torso and pointing it out. "Her injuries are also consistent with that she tried to fight off her attacker, the lacerations along the forearms opposed to the torso stab wounds confirm that. It looks as if she bled out here."

"Any signs of sexual assault?" Frost asks and he instantly wishes he hasn't.

"I won't know for sure until I take a closer look at her." Maura answers and sighs softly. "But the way the clothing is positioned, it doesn't appear so. It hasn't been left like there has been anything else other than an attack."

"Can we look inside the handbag?" Korsak asks, eager to find any information about the young woman.

"It will need to wait until morning once I've run some tests." The medical examiner tells him. "It may be possible that the attacker touched the handbag and I don't want to risk destroying any prints. I'll get the body transported right away and do as much as I can tonight, but the autopsy will be tomorrow."

"That's fine, thanks Maura." Jane says with feeling and turns back to her colleagues in blue. "Someone must have heard something, her screaming or even a scuffle. What about the people in the bars?" 

"I'll check it out, but most of those places play loud music and with everyone shouting over each other." The youngest detective, Frost answers. "I'm hoping someone on this side of the street heard something."

"We can't exactly force them to answer their doors at this time of night and most people would freak out with this happening and then someone knocking on the door." Vince Korsak muses and sighs. "We better let everyone else do their part and get going. It's going to be a tough one.

 

Violent deaths often have a way of corrupting the unaware, seeping into every fibre of their being and staining their soul with a darkness that can't be undone. Witnessing the brutality first hand is sickening, soul destroying to see the capabilities of one human to another, whether it was justifiable or understandable is irrelevant. What is relevant is the loss of life and the heartache and grief it brings to those left behind, the loved ones of the deceased who refused to believe the tragedy or those who deny that their son or daughter, husband or wife is capable of such a heinous act. But Maura had seen it all before and still couldn't fathom whether committing such an act would solve the problems that the individuals faced or would make the situation worse. She sighs as the comfort of the pillows and mattress devour her tired body, allowing her to relax for a while as she reflects on the occurrences of the day. She can't help but think about the meeting with Danny Taylor and she knows that her and Gavin Crawford made the right decision by taking disciplinary action against the incompetent death investigator. Part of the oath was to seek truth at whatever cost and he had failed to do so and brought doubt to every case he had worked. Ultimately, Danny Taylor's negligence had not only cost him his job, but also raised serious doubt into the diagnosises he had made on other cases, possibly sealing one natural death as a homicide and vice versa. 

Maura had left the office later than expected and was tempted to make a start on the autopsy of the Jane-Doe from the alleyway, but she reasoned that her tiredness wouldn't do the investigation any justice if she couldn't keep her eyes open. She settles down on the sofa with a glass of wine and flicks through the dozens of channels, aimlessly searching for something to lull her over into restfulness, but she gives up and goes to bed.

 

It's a strange kind of morning with a powder blue sky and unattractive grey clouds setting in, luring everyone into a false sense of security about what kind of day they are going to be getting. Jane is already waiting for Maura with coffee in her office and the medical examiner appreciates the gesture after such a restless night.

"I thought you could use it."

"Do I really look that bad?" The doctor asks with a slight laugh. "But you're right, I could use it."

"I think everyone is the same when a new case turns up, all the whys and how's."

"I'm assuming you didn't sleep much either." Maura states, but not as a question. "Any leads on who she could be yet?"

"There's about six dozen missing persons report been made and all of them match or fit enough to be our Jane-Doe. But I'm thinking that if she was a sex worker, her prints are going to be in the system."

"It's a possibility." She agrees. "And her attacker could have been her last customer."

"I'll take some cleaned up photos down to the well known areas for picking these girls up. Maybe someone knows her or knows something about her."

"Again, it's possible that was her occupation with the way she was dressed and where she was found." Maura answers in agreement, organising all the paperwork for the autopsy and occasionally stopping to take a sip of coffee. "And the blood at the crime scene supports that she was killed there." 

"Korsak and Frost are running the door to door and they're going to wake up the residents in the buildings near the alleyway. And I get this fun job."

"Both Frost and Korsak tend to lose their breakfast, that's why you're here." The doctor answers teasingly and gathers the paperwork in her hands. "I'm assuming you will be staying for the entire autopsy?"

"Of course. You know I love how we bond over a body, Maura."

The two women walk down the endless corridors and take the elevator down to the ground floor, going through a series of security doors and then gowning up for the examination and investigation of the body from the previous night. Samuel Watts, one of the assistant pathologists had already photographed the body, collected any trace evidence and washed the corpse down and all that Maura had to do was literally cut her open and listen to what she was being told by the evidence.

Suited up, Maura begins the ugly process of the Y incision and extracts the internal organs methodically and weighs them, noting any and every aspect of the tissue and organs. 

"She has signs of a chirotic liver, but I'll do some tests on the tissues to confirm that." Maura tells Jane and continues her investigation. "Cause of death was definitely deep puncture wounds to the stomach and to the wall of the chest, puncturing the lungs. The lacerations to the forearms and hands are consistent with her trying to defend herself and they aren't too deep."

Jane Rizolli watches in silence as Maura conducts her investigation, taking notes and asking questions where they are needed and she knew her assumption about the brutality of the attack had been right.

"There's a small bruise on her top lip just below the septum and it's recent. Very recent."

"Have you seen that kind of injury before?" Jane asks. curiously as she inches closer to see the bruise for herself.

"A few times, yes. Normally the location of a bruise like this is created with a blow that hits the pressure point, stunning the receiver."

"And her attacker could have done that to stun and silence her?" The detective queries.

"It's possible. He or she would have to be accurate in the blow and know which area to hit. Usually military operatives are taught to use it in close combat."

"So our attacker could have a military history or know about the training?" Jane asks as she writes it down.

"It's possible or even someone who learned self defense would know the technique."

"How long had she been dead Maura before she was found?" Jane continues to write down in shorthand everything that's been said.

"Not long, around three or four hours at the very most. I'm going to examine her for any signs of sexual assault, although with her clothing still being intact and in it's proper place, I don't think she was."

The next part of the examination takes another twenty minutes, inspecting closely for any bruising on the woman's inner thighs or genitals and Maura turns to Jane and confirms that their Jane-Doe wasn't assaulted sexually. After another hour, Maura finally removes her gloves and hands over the responsibility of closing the body up with her assistant and then joins Jane in her office to discuss the findings and type up the official report.

"The fingerprinting system is going to take a few hours to match her prints to a profile, and that's if she is in the system." Maura tells Jane as she scribbles a note on a pad she keeps beside her desk phone. "I'm hoping that she has been in trouble before so we can identify her and inform her next of kin."

"And hopefully we can start piecing together why she was killed and by who."

"I'll email you the finished reports and as soon as I have heard anything from the labs I'll let you know." The doctor says in agreement. "They are backed up and I have asked for priority, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get them rushed through."

"I know you'll try."

***-

 

Every year, thousands of people across the US and across the world go missing and only a handful of the reported cases return to their concerned friends and family. Some of the reports are made by worried families whose child has run off with a boyfriend or girlfriend they don't approve of and others have left for their own reasons, to start somewhere new and then there's the suspicious circumstances that are revealed during the investigation. Abductions, suicides and homicides seem to go hand in hand with those who have upped and left, apparently for no reason at all and most investigators decide that there is always a reason for someone running off, disappearing without a trace.  
Jane nurses a cup of lukewarm coffee as she reads through the hundreds of missing persons reports, printing out the reports with the descriptions that match the Jane-Doe that is in the morgue. 

She glances up as Korsak and Frost enter the office space, carrying their own cups of coffee and a paper bag that contains their take out lunch.

"How did the autopsy go?" Korsak asks as he sits down at his desk, Frost sitting on the edge of his own workstation.

"She was literally knifed to death, some of the wounds penetrated her lungs. She had been dead maybe four hours by the time she was found."

"Sounds like a nasty way to go." Frost comments with a sigh.

"What's interesting is that she had a small bruise on her top lip, just below her nose and a blow there would stun her to silence. Maura said that anyone with military training or someone who had taken self defense classes would know to hit that area."

"Which really narrows the search down." Frost adds sarcastically. 

"Any sign of a sexual assault?" Korsak asks, winding as the hot coffee scolds his mouth.

"Maura couldn't find any evidence that this was a sexual attack." 

"And the labs are probably going to take a while to get back to us, right?" Korsak asks sighing.

"She said she would call us as soon as they are back. Maura is trying to put a rush on them, but every lab in the states is backlogged. Did you two find out anything?"

"We checked all the residents who stayed in the street and around the alleyway and only one resident heard something." Frost explains. "An older woman who stays in the apartment right next to the alleyway said she heard what sounded like a cat being strangled."

"At what time?"

"Around seven or eight, so that puts it at...." Korsak does the math. "Two to four hours before she was discovered."

"And this sound of a cat being strangled could be when Jane-Doe was attacked. Unless it really was a cat being strangled."

"No one's found a dead cat." Frost tells them. "My bet is that it was Jane-Doe."

"It could be." Korsak agrees, nodding."I've got the tapes coming over from all the CCTV in the area and hopefully they've caught something for us to go on."

"I'm going to take her picture around the swamp and see if someone can identify her."

"I'll come with you." Frost tells Jane."Some of them are going to talk to a guy more than a woman."

"Okay, you guys finish your lunch and I'll meet you back here in an hour. I'm going to get some better coffee."

 

Since the breakup of her marriage, Angela Rizolli had poured her heart and soul into the small diner she had bought with her share from the sale of the family home and felt more at ease with her life. Most of her customers are cops, firefighters and nurses, but she welcomes everyone in regardless of their occupation. Jane finds her mother behind the counter, closing the sliding door to the fresh pastries and then wiping the surfaces down.

"Hey, Ma." Jane says warmly. "Can you fix me up a really strong coffee?"

"Have you eaten yet?"

"I'll take a sandwich, too." The young woman adds to save arguing and she is pretty hungry. "Has Frankie or Tommy been in yet?"

"Frankie's still chasing that blonde skirt who wouldn't know what a hard days work is if her life depended on it and Tommy....he's doing what Tommy does best."

"He isn't in trouble again is he, Ma?" Jane asks, concerned.

"You will probably know before I do because i'm the last to know everything around here."

Jane decides to try a different tactic and watches her mother as she pours coffee into cups and places them onto trays for the waitresses to take to the busy tables. Angela slides a cup to Jane and wipes the counter top.

"Has Frankie and Tommy been fighting again?" 

"You know how they are sometimes." Angela shrugs, having given up on trying to keep the family together and to keep whatever peace there was left. "They're always fighting about something."

"What is it this time, "Ma?" 

"They're arguing about what they usually argue about." The elder Rizolli woman answers, sighing heavily with annoyance. "Your father."

"And what's dad done this time?"

"Oh the usual, Jane. He decided to invite everyone out for a family dinner, a real get together to get the family back on track." Angela answers with scepticism and venom.

"And Frankie says he isn't going and Tommy wants to play happy families?"

"Sounds about right." The older woman comments. "And your father is expecting me to convince you and Frankie to go along with it."

Jane reflects on what her mother has just said and Angela Rizolli had never once asked her children to take sides during or even after the breakup of her marriage, but her ex husband didn't see anything wrong with emotionally involving them. Jane remembers all those get togethers and how they ended, usually with only Tommy feeling sympathetic towards their father, but stuck in the middle. Frankie had made his mind up about his father a long time ago and Jane couldn't forgive him for breaking her mother's heart.

"And what did you tell him?" Jane asks curiously, but she already knows.

"I told him that you were both big enough and old enough to make your own decisions, but I wasn't going to get involved and tell you two what to do."

"I know, Ma." The younger Rizolli woman agrees, smiling over kindly at the woman who had raised her. "Even with the separation and the divorce, you never got us involved. You always said you would never be mad at us because he still is our dad."

"Jane, I know you and Frankie give Tommy a hard time about it, but he loves his dad too and I think Tommy is always going to think we are going to fix this."

"Which would make you miserable." Jane points our and wraps her hands around the mug. "This kind of thing is okay at Christmas or special occasions, not just off the bat when he feels like it."

Angela nods in agreement and looks around to see how her staff and customers are doing, everyone looking equally as happy. She feels a hand on hers and she looks to her daughter, waiting to hear something awful or something incredible.

"I know you still love him, Ma. Not like how you used to, but in a different way."

"You're right and it would be crazy not to love the father of my kids in some way." The aging woman answers. "I just wish that things hadn't happened how they did and then no one would be feeling pushed out or resented."

"Dad should have thought of that before he ran off with that floozy."

Angela Rizolli's eyebrows turn downwards into a frown, her lips a thin line of distaste as she picks up her coffee and sets it down without drinking it.

"Jane, you know I would never stop you or your brothers being a part of your father's life. He is still your father."

"Ma, he keeps thinking he can play happy families and get away with his attempts to win you back." The younger of the two answers with hostility and bitterness. "He walked out on you and he thinks it's okay to harass you so he can get what he wants."

"And every time he tried to bring everyone together it just causes problems."

"Maybe he should just forget the whole thing and stop trying." Jane says and sighs as her cellphone vibrates in the holster on her belyt reading the email. "Ma, I have to go.Something's came up at work, but we'll talk about this later."


	3. Chapter 3

The police report says that Rebecca Tait had gone missing from her home two years ago at the age of twenty, her disappearance reported by her concerned and worried parents who made weekly calls to the local police department who was handling their daughter's case, hoping and preying for progress. The three detectives sit hunched around Korsak's desk, studying the information in front of them and they aren't at least surprised to find that young Rebecca Tait, their Jane-Doe had been charged before with prostitution and drug possession. Whether the young woman used drugs would be clear in the toxicology reports done by the lab. The trio now have a name for the nameless corpse, eager to contact her parents and inform them of their daughters death. But they have to step back for that part of the process and allow the local police department in Shreveport, Lousianna. According to the reports made by the police in Shreveport, the Tait family had moved from the town of Clinton and the Tait's openly admitted that the move happened because of their daughter. The report loosely states that Rebecca had gotten into trouble at school and had embarrassed the family by her choice of friends and her actions, but the Tait's maintained that they didn't understand why their daughter ran off and it worried then that she never got in contact.

"That's some trip from Lousianna to here." Korsak says, breaking the silence.

"I wonder why she suddenly decided to leave." Jane muses, agreeing with her colleague. "Did the cops who informed her parents ask why they think Rebecca left?"

"The officers I spoke to claim the parents couldn't think of a single reason why she left." Frost answers and then continues. "But I'm guessing it had something to do with the problems they seemed to be having."

"And the move wouldn't have helped." She tells her two male colleagues."Is there anything about friends from her Clinton or Shreveport come forward in the original investigation."

"There seems to be some kind of confusion. But its interesting." Frost tells them as he opens the original file and starts to explain the reports made by Rebecca Tait's friends."There were two sets of friends from Clinton, one she literally grew up with as kids and by the sounds of it, they were the real goody types who couldn't claimed that Rebecca wasn't just being rebellious, but she had changed completely."

"Changed how?" Vice Korsak asks curiously.

"Well, they said she started to fail in classes and acted strange like she was a totally different person from who she was. She got cocky and sometimes even nasty.' Barry tells her.

"And who was the nastiness directed at?"

"The goody friends said it was directed at everyone, but mostly people in authority like their teachers, parents and even the pastor at their church." The youngest of all three explains, pausing every so often for the other two to catch up. "They said she became wicked. And then they found out she was hanging out with a group of undesirables who everyone in town avoided like the plague."

"And what about this group of tougher friends?" Korsak asks, sceptical of the run down of the first report. "What did they have to say about Rebecca Tait?"

"They knew something was bothering Rebecca at home and she didn't tell them, not that anyone pressed too hard because she got so defensive." Frost tells them. "According to this group of friends, Rebecca only lashed out verbally and physically when she was pushed to it. They described her as loving, even though she had problems. All they know is that she took off and they are blaming the problems at home."

The trio of detectives have hit a brick wall and their frustration shows as they recap everything they've learned so far and even after a good half hour, they still aren't any closer to learning anything about the dramatic move to Boston. They speculate and throw ideas around, hoping to find a plausible explanation and none of the suggestions make any sense or seem to help them move forward.

"What about friends here in Boston?"

"How are we going to get people to come forward if they did know her?" Frost asks Jane.

"We could release a statement and the photo to the press. Someone has to know her and it looks like it's going to be the only way."

"I'll call media relations and get the ball rolling." Korsak says in agreement. 

"And we should circulate her picture around the swamp. Someone is going to know her if she suddenly started working on their patch."

"Whose getting that job?" Frost asks with certainty that he's going to be delegated the job.

"I think Jane and I should go." Korsak says and laughs as he adds. "You're too handsome and those girls might think they're onto something."

"Very funny!" Frost answers as the three break into laughter.

******

The Swamp is a crude nickname for the red light area that the beat cops from some unknown time had named the area and everyone knew it by that, even the people who claimed that such an area existed and chose to live in denial of such a place. The streets that are The Swamp's territory are dark and reasonably secluded with boarded up stores from the fifties and derelict apartment buildings that had housed the boatloads of Irish immigrants. Now, the area looks twice as bad as it had when it was first named The Swamp, with it's overflowing trash cans and filthy streets, the dim lighting and the poor neighbourhoods on the outskirts. It isn't a place where many people choose to walk through in fear of being mugged or harassed by some wino or addict who is desperate for cash and even the workers who venture out into their territory during the day as equally as unpleasant, vicious and nasty. So, the area was left to ruin and nobody seemed to care. 

The black Ford Taurus inches silently to a stop down the street from the main pickup spot and already several women are offering their services.  
The duo watch with curiosity as the women in their fifties and sixties strut their stuff along the sidewalk, blowing kisses at prospective clients and some of the cars stop for a better look or to take the women up on their offers. Rizolli and Korsak get out of the car and walk towards a heavy set woman with peroxide blonde hair and a contrasting lepord print skirt and a pink blouse. From a distance she looks as if she is in her thirties, but up close she looks like she has just hit fifty and her appearance shows it. Jane knows the woman would have been attractive in her youth, but now she just looks frumpy and tired despite the layer of make-up on her worn skin. She hopes that she isn't going to look like that when she is fifty and she shudders at the thought.

"How you doin', sweetie?" The older woman asks, her voice scratchy from years of smoking. "Oh, I don't do threesomes, honey. You're going to have to find someone else for you and your friend here."

"We're not looking for a threesome." Korsak replies and shows her his detectives shield. "We're here about something else."

As soon as the badge comes into view, the other workers scatter like ants and the woman in front of them is trapped and left alone against the two detectives. The older woman composes herself quickly and acts as if she is the moralist person on earth.

"Whatever it is, I don't know nothing about it." She answers.

"We only need a few minutes of your time and then we'll let you get back to what you were doing." Korsak says sweetly. "Sound fair?"

"Go on." The prostitute answers.

"Do you know this girl?" Jane asks as she pulls out a cleaned up photograph of Rebecca Tait and the woman studies it.

"I recognise her." She answers. "But she didn't work the same time as old girls."

"When did she work, do you know?" Korsak asks quickly.

"Probably the eleven to five." The blonde haired woman answers."What's she done?"

"She's dead and we know she was a working girl, but we need to know who she was hanging around with." He tells her and learns that her name is Flora, a nickname while on the job.

"Poor kid." She answers with genuine sympathy. "She got family?"

"Yeah, she has and they split on bad terms." Vince explains. "We don't know who killed her or why, so we're asking for your help."

"Okay." She sighs, lighting a cigarette."Can I keep this and show it around?" 

"Sure. And this is my number if you get anything." Korsak hands over his business card.

Rizolli and Korsak return to the parked car and sit for a few minutes before they make any attempt to leave the area. Making contact with Flora sounds promising and she's old enough to know many of the women and they come to the conclusion that someone, somewhere has to know her.

"She sounded concerned."

"She did." Jane agrees and starts up the engine, pulling out and leaving the ghastly area behind them for the time being. "She sounded like she wanted to help."

"You don't sound convinced."

"I'm just not sure how the rest of the workers are going to feel about her asking questions on our behalf." She tells him. "It could be a big risk to take and especially if her clients found out."

"True, but they do all tend to stick together."

"I hope you're right." Jane answers with a sigh. "I hope you're right."

****

"I'm not liking the parents answers." Frost says suddenly, breaking the silence in the office. "It's just too...."

"Rehearsed?" Jane suggests.

"Yeah, rehearsed and sort of constructed like it was all the daughters fault." He agrees. "It just sounds strange that two groups of people say different things and it sounds like the parents really didn't know her."

"But we don't know which group of friends are telling the truth about her."

"I've got a few phone numbers from the original statements and I think we should at least ask a few questions." He answers, shrugging. 

"That's a great idea. Someone's got to give us something we can go on."

"I think it would be worth paying the Tait's a visit too." He tells her.

"I'll get Vince to sweet talk Cavanaugh and see if he will agree to the costs of going out there."

 

Sean Cavanaugh eyes his old friend with suspicion and glances at the cup of take-out coffee from the place across the street, unsure to what he is going to be asked as a favour.

"What is it, Vince?" The Lieutenant asks. "I know you're trying to butter me up for something."

"We have nothing to go on with the Rebecca Tait homicide and we think it would be a good idea if we went and spoke to the family. We know they're hiding something, but we don't know what."

"What do you know already?" Cavanaugh probes as he sits back in the leather office chair.

"We think she was working down at The Swamp and according to her school friends and parents, she was pushing boundaries. But her wild group of friends, said she was fine. The parents said in their statements that Rebecca was difficult, but didn't say why."

"And you want to know why, right?" The senior officer asks and Korsak nods. "Okay, I can give you three days from touch down and an extension will depend on the progress of your enquiries. I want you and Jane to go and I'll work with Frost on this one, following up leads."

*****

"What do you think the parents are hiding?" Maura asks Jane as she hands her friend a cup of coffee.

"I'm not sure, but there's something they aren't telling us and I'm going to find out. Something happened to make the family move and then for Rebecca to run away."

"It hasn't been the first time in history that the family knows more about the reasons why than they are letting on." The medical examiner agrees. "There could be a thousand reasons for her disappearing the way she did."

"I guess there's only one way to find out. Someone knows something and I'm betting it's this group of wilder friends."

"What makes you say that?" She asks Jane. 

"Just a feeling, that's all. Just a feeling that they know something, whether they thought it was a big deal or not."

"You're most likely right." Maura agrees. "What about this other group of friends?"

"From the reports, it sounds like they were all the spitting image of their parents and their ways, but for some reason Rebecca rebelled against it and this other group of friends were blamed."

"I think you're going to need all the help you can get, Jane." Maura answers with a sigh. "Nothing sounds simple about this."

"Murder is never simple, Maura. It just gets more and more complicated."

*****

Rizolli and Korsak collect their luggage and quickly find the rented car ready and waiting for them, along with directions to the cheap hotel where they would be staying. Korsak opts to drive while Rizolli takes in their surroundings, unimpressed about having to take a middle of the night flight and having to sit behind a screaming kid who kept taking temper tantrums at the age of twelve and not getting any sleep whatsoever

"You look drained." 

"I feel it." Jane says with a yawn. "That flight really was hell."

"Sure was. We should get some rest and then meet up at one to talk to the locals. We know how argumentative you get when you're tired."

"Are you trying to imply something here, Vince?" She asks humourlessly, but she is teasing him.

"Who me? No, of course not."

"Good." She cracks a smile. "But I like your idea of kicking things off later. Just shut the door on the way out."

A laugh rumbles from Vince Korsak as he leaves and heads to his own room, closing the door behind him. He feels just as drained from the flight and the constant thinking that had kept him awake, that and the noisy kid sitting in front. He sets his cell alarm for twelve and slides under the covers, welcoming sleep enthusiastically just as Jane had done in her own room.

 

The Shreveport police department is situated between a block of old apartments and on the other side is a gymn and health shop. The building itself looks shabby, old bricks and structure with a paint job and the interior just as shabby and worn.

"Even the hotel looks better than this place." Jane whispers to her partner."And we whine about our place."

"It doesn't inspire confidence." 

"I know it isn't exactly a huge city, but even town offices look better." She says, still whispering.

"Remind me to never complain about the office again."

"Deal." Jane agrees and someone comes out from behind the desk, asking them to follow her upstairs.

They are greeted by a barrel shaped detective with a bad comb over and a grey moustache, the buttons on his shirt straining against his gut and damp patches underneath his arm. Jane instinctively tries to avoid shaking his hand and then wipes the transferred sweat on her pants.

"Thanks for making time time for us." Korsak says as they all take a seat around the small conference table.

"It's my pleasure." The beefy man answers. "I'm Ed Barnes and I'm sorry my partner couldn't be here, but he's recovering from hernia surgery and isn't back for another five weeks. So, what can I do for you?"

"We're here about Rebecca Tait." Jane says quickly, wanting to get down to business as soon as possible and get out of the sour smelling room. "You investigated her disappearence and we want some insight before we go and talk to the parents."

Ed Barnes chews on the edge of his moustache and leans back in his squeaky chair, his shirt straining even more against his bulge. He reaches for a thin folder and opens it in front of him, sighing.

"There's not much to tell, except the kid ran away and we never figured out why."

"What could they say except that their daughter had run off with no warning."

"Why did they think Rebecca ran away, Ed?" She asks him.

"They reckon it had something to do with that bad crowd she was hanging around with. They kept leading her to trouble."

"I doubt they forced her into anything." Korsak argues and Jane silently agrees.

"Come on, Vince. There's no way that girl would have done anything untoward if she wasn't pushed into doing it. She had the world in the palm of her hands and theres no way a kid like that would throw it all away."

"Do you know something we dont?" Jane asks curiously, losing her patience at the man in front of her.

"All I'm saying is that any kid with a solid decent background isn't going to blow it all on a whim. She was raised in the church, went religiously with her parents, got straight A's until she started hanging around with those bums. Makes sense."

Neither Korsak or Rizolli are impressed by Ed Barnes's analysis of the case and mutually feel that is too blinkered to other possibilities.

"What doesn't make sense is that she ran away." Jane argues strongly. "What about her friends and what do they think?"

"The friends from her school know that the bad apples have something to do with it." Barnes answers defensively as he flicks through the file, but not reading anything. "They don't know what exactly, but they know."

"And what about this group of bad applies?" Jane queries. "I bet they were purposely hiding something."

Ed Barnes's blue eyes narrow in challenge and protest of what has just been said and he shakes his head, sighing.

"They knew something and I did my damndest to prove it."

"So what did the group of rebellious friends actually say in their statements, Ed?" Korsak asks quickly before Jane can interrogate him further. 

"Mostly lies. About the parents and her life away from the group. Within a day they were up here saying that something bad had happened and how they thought the parents had something to with it."

"And you didn't believe them?" Vince asks and he already knows the answer.

"Course I didn't, Korsak. If you knew these punks you wouldn't believe them either."

"So you didn't investigate their accusations at all?" He asks the local.

"What the hell is this? I don't need to be told how to do my job. Your killer is on your own patch and you're just wasting your time here."

"That's for us to decide and your Chief already granted us full jurisdiction." Korsak says with simmering anger. "That includes access to all the files and anyone we want to talk to. Now let us do our job."

 

Jane and Korsak had been asked to wait in the lobby while Detective Barnes gathered together all the relevant documents for the Rebecca Tait case, muttering under his breath about this all being a waste of time.  
They are abruptly handed the bundles of papers and go back to the hotel where they can study the files in piece and quiet and without any distractions.

"First thing tomorrow I say we talk to the Tait's and then start tracking down all these friends."

"I can't believe Barnes didn't look into the possibility of the so called bad apples knowing something useful." She answers as she scribbles down some notes into a pad of paper. "He completely bought the Tait's explanation without question."

"It's not good. Hopefully we'll get a better grip of things in the morning, but I think the Tait's are hiding something."

"I've had that feeling since talking to Barnes." She answers with a sigh. "I just didn't like how defensive he was."

"He completely defended them without knowing for sure."

"That worries me." Jane admits and returns to her stack of files.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback would be most appreciated guys!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

First impressions of Linwood Avenue is that it was created for the wealthier homeowner and is strictly conservative. Each house has matching mailboxes and white picket fences, immaculately kept gardens and polished cars in the driveway. The neighbourhood is peaceful and serene, not so much as a rougue piece of trash to spoil the image that is presented to the two out of town detectives. The scene looks like something from a commercial, showing the perfect neighbourhood and house and family as residents. It looks like the perfect setting to show everyone what America is and always will be, proud and gracious. The interior of the house is similar to the exterior, everything picture perfect in pastels, hardwood floors and cream walls. Expensive rugs and pieces of art give the home a grandeur impression, stunning visitors and making the occupants quite pleased at what they have to offer as eye candy. The sitting room looks like a showroom from a catalogue and feels unwelcoming and cold. There are no family pictures or knickknacks on display, no misshaped animal made out of clay from kindergarten. Rizolli studies the cabinet of first place trophies that are all inscribed to Raymond Tait, a constant winner at most activities. 

Raymond Tait looks average, like every other conservative man who is living the American dream. A background check revealed that Raymond had worked as an exterminator with the same company since he was fifteen and never looked back. His wife Shirley on the other hand worked as a sales clerk in a grocery store. The couple had never been in trouble with the police and were so straight laced they hadn't even had a parking ticket or some fine for breaking a bylaw. They seem perfect, too perfect for Rizolli's liking.

Raymond is sitting in a leather armchair while his wife sits on the arm. They don't seem to be too phased by the news of their daughter's death but the experienced detectives know that people deal with their grief in different ways. And it hasn't been the first time they have spoken to someone who appears to be completely unaffected by tragic news.

"I don't really understand what else we can tell you that we haven't already told Ed Barnes." Raymond says impatiently. "Shouldn't you be out there finding who killed Rebecca?" 

"Mr Tait, we are doing everything we can to find who killed your daughter and we have the very best detectives continuing the investigation." Korsak answers calmly. "We are here to establish a better understanding of who Rebecca was and what was going through her mind when she ran away. Sometimes we have to dig deep into the victim's past to help us understand how she came to be in Boston and how she may have met the person responsible for her death."

The explanation satisfies Shirley Tait, but Raymond is still showing impatience. He sees their meeting as a waste of time since Barnes had already questioned them about Rebecca and he makes his feelings known by his hostile demeanor. 

"You told detective Barnes that Rebecca had changed and become difficult before the move here." Korsak states and then asks. "What was going on with her that made you concerned?" 

"Rebecca had always been an A student, always came home on time and picked up after herself around the house and even did chores that she wasn't asked to do." Shirley explains. "We went to church every Sunday, spent a lot of time as a family. Rebecca changed over a few months and her behaviour got worse."

"What in particular were the issues?" Vince asks, writing down notes. 

"She had gotten lazy and moody and argued with us over almost everything." Shirley tells them. "She was turning into a different person and it wasn't nice. She started getting into trouble at school and we were called to meetings."

"Detective Barnes had said in his report that she attended a school of high standing." Korsak replies. "What kind of trouble did Rebecca get into?"

"Mrs Corrigan, the guidance counsellor told us that Rebecca was being disruptive at every opportunity and refused what she was asked to do." The mother explains. "She was disruptive in all her lessons."

"Was there a reason to why she was so disruptive?" Jane cuts in. 

"Mrs Corrigan felt that Rebecca was being corrupted." Shirley deeply sighs and shakes her head. "We did everything to keep her on the right path and then we found out that she was hanging around with......wasters."

"Did these other kids attend the same school?" Jane asks, taking over the line of questioning.

"Don't be stupid!" Raymond Tait snaps. "People like that don't get into good schools. They are scum."

"That's a pretty strong statement, Mr Tait." Jane says as she considers his reaction, her gut feeling telling her that there is something else underlying. 

"You know the types, detective. They are failures at everything. They sit around and listen to bad music, think the world owes them a living." Mr Tait rants angrily. "They have no prospects and a bad education, bad parents and live in a bad neighbourhood. They're trouble with a capital T."

Jane can't help but think that his statement about his daughter's group of friends is a little harsh, especially when he most likely hadn't met them or had anything to do with them. 

"One night, a friend of the family found Rebecca drunk." Shirley adds sadly, sniffing. "She was just wandering around helplessly."

"Kids often drink and push authoritive boundaries as an act of rebellion." Rizolli adds. "I think every kid does it."

"Our daughter wasn't raised like that!" Raymond snaps again and turns scarlet. "She wasn't raised to push boundaries or disobey. It was those friends of hers, those......those cretins that turned her into one of them, a waster."

The interview quickly ends after a third aggressive outburst from Raymond Tait and the detectives leave with nothing but an impression of the family and it wasn't an exactly good one. They believed that Rebecca was constantly pushed to being the best at everything and so much was expected of her and that she found friendships in places that she knew her parents would disapprove of. Typical teenage rebellion at it's finest. Korsak suggests talking to the groups of kids who Rebecca knew and spent time with before arranging a meeting with Mrs Corrigan.

******

Joanna Norton had been friends with Rebecca since she moved into the area and Rizolli and Korsak decide to speak to the approved friendships first. Joanna is clearly distressed as she tears at a tissue in her lap, her hands shaking. She hadn't seen or heard from Rebecca since graduation and it was at the same time she went missing. She had originally been questioned by the police and the only insight she could offer as to why Rebecca had run away was that it had something to do with her other group of friends, the bad ones.

"We appreciate you taking the time to talk to us, Joanna." Jane says gently. "Anything you can tell us can be helpful." 

"I don't know if I know anything that could help that hasn't already been asked."

"Just try your best to answer our questions." Jane answers thoughtfully. "Sometimes small details that seem insignificant are buried in our minds and something can trigger that memory and it can help us."

"I'm ready whenever you are."

"How was Rebecca when she first moved here?" Rizolli asks gently. "Please, take your time."

"The first time I saw her was the day the Tait's moved in. I was walking a neighbour's dog and Mr Tait was unhappy with Rebecca and Mrs Tait was talking to the new neighbours."

"Was there anything that you could see that explained why Mr Tait was unhappy with Rebecca?" Jane glances at Korsak while he scribbles in his notebook.

"I remember that she wouldn't help him take the boxes from the removal truck into the house and she said that she wasn't doing it because she didn't want to move anyway."

"And what was Mr Tait's reaction to that?" Jane queries. 

"He told her to stop complaining and that the move was the best for all of them. She did look so unhappy standing on the lawn."

"After first seeing her, what was your impression of the family?" Korsak asks curiously.

"They seemed a normal family, but it was obvious that Rebecca didn't want to move."

"When was the first time you met Rebecca and became friends, Joanna?" Jane asks, taking control of the interview.

"Mrs Corrigan is in charge of our house and she brought Rebecca in on her first day and introduced her to everyone when we were in English. She was like every other new kid in class, nervous and quiet. But we first spoke in gym class. I asked her to be on my team and we all got to know her and her us."

"So after this she started to settle in?" Rizolli wonders openly.

"Oh yeah, but sometimes she could be a little quiet. We became best friends and our group got bigger and bigger."

"Did Rebecca have any trouble with anyone in the social group?" The female detective asks. "Did she say anything that worried you?"

"Most people liked Rebecca, but there were a few who literally looked down their noses at her. Sounds like every other school, doesn't It?"

"Definitely." Korsak agrees and decided to take over the interview. "Why didn't some people like her?"

"She was an outsider and her parents didn't have as much money as other kid's."

"I guess that happens in most schools." Jane says thoughtfully, knowing exactly the king of things that happened in school, even the more refined schools. "So what did you two get up to when you were together?"

"We were typical school girls. We worried about school and exams and gossiped about boys we liked. We used to sit and watch chick flicks, do each other's nails. We were normal."

"Did Rebecca ever say anything about if anything was troubling her at home?" She asks the young woman.

"I always found Mr Tait to be.....very hard on Rebecca. She never said anything directly but I always knew when they had some sort of argument. She would be moody and put off our plans if we had made them, but I always convinced her to come over anyway."

"Did you try talking to her about the relationship she had with her father?" Korsak asks.

"I tried. I tried a few times and she would always tell me that she didn't want to talk about it. If I had known something was going on that made her run away, I would have pushed harder."

"You did your best, Joanna." Jane answers with great sympathy. "When people don't want to talk about something it's almost impossible to get them to open up. When did you first notice that Rebecca was getting into trouble at school."

"It wasn't until a few months after we became friends that I saw her get into trouble. I think she was just rebelling and she was very opinionated, especially when it came to class discussions. She had her opinion and could back it up. A lot of the other kids and teachers didn't like that."

"So she did what every other kid did?" Korsak asks in confusion. "Nothing serious that could cause worry?"

"Not a single thing. Now that I think about it, I'm sure they didn't like Rebecca because she didn't comform to their thoughts and ideals. She had her own mind. I remember one day when Mrs Corrigan took year group to talk about our futures, she was really pissed that Rebecca didn't want to be a doctor or a lawyer or anything like that."

"And what did Rebecca want to do with her life?" Jane asks simply.

"She wanted to play music and paint. She wanted to open a music bar where all different kids of people could come together and share open-minded ideas with each other, a place like a jazz bar but for all tastes of music."

"And this wasn't encouraged?" She asks Joanna

"Mrs Corrigan called her stupid and told her to get her head out of the clouds. According to her it wasn't a career. Rebecca felt differently."

"Some other kids that Rebecca knew and hung around, some of them your own friends said that Rebecca was hanging around with a bad crowd." Vince explains and then asks. "Do you know anything about that?"

"Rebecca had friends outside of school who she had more in common with. Sure, they drank and smoked pot, but we all did. They just did it more out in the open than anyone else. I still don't understand what they had against her friends other than that they were outsiders."

"And they were only outsiders because they weren't rich or went to a posh school?" Jane asks for the confirmation. 

"Exactly. They made up stories and rumours started and of course the teaching staff heard about it and so did Rebecca's parents."

"And what was their reaction to finding out about Rebecca hanging out with this new group of friends?" Vince takes over again.

"They were mad, but it was mostly Mr Tait who gave Rebecca a hard time. She told me the reasons why her parents moved here and that it was to get her away from bad influences. She said they were better friends than the kids she grew up going to church with. She said they weren't judgemental."

*****

Jane and Vince had relocated to a coffee shop on Vermont to discuss what information Joanna Norton had told them. They were given an explanation by the parent's and Joanna's version of events were completely different and that troubled them and had been since they left Joanna's apartment. The young woman had expressed sincerity when she admitted that Joanna's actions had never caused cause for concern and they believed her, but it meant that Rebecca's parents account conflicted. After coffee, they decided to visit the friend's who for some reason had something against them and the interviewing begun quickly after. 

 

Jordan Turner is the last name on the list and both Jane and Vince are looking forward to tying up the interviews and returning to the motel and to plan their next steps in the investigation. So far all of Rebecca's unapproved friends had said similar things that Joanna Norton had said, but none of them had any thoughts as to what made their friend run away. Korsak had run background checks on all of Rebecca Tait's friends and the ones from school had better qualifications, better jobs and a higher education, while the ones that no one approved of have poor employment but continue to work menial jobs, live in bad neighbourhoods and follow in the footsteps that only the underprivileged would understand.  
Jordan doesn't appear to be like most kids who are in their teens or early twenties, he's got his head screwed on and his background check revealed that he worked three low paying jobs to take care of his sick mother and siblings, pay the rent and put food on the table. He had been caught twice with selling stolen goods and receiving money, but the charges were dropped when it couldn't be proven that Jordan willingly knew the goods were stolen. Jane Rizolli regards Jordan with a mutual sympathy because she had grown up in similar circumstances, even though they weren't identical. She sees him as a part of herself, a kid who had something to prove to everyone else and did what he had to in order to survive. Her story is similar and she understands how hard it must be for a kid who should be living their life, but instead has become a carer and protector, a parent. In the first twenty minutes of the interview, the detectives have established how Jordan met Rebecca and how she became a friend of his other friends, much to the displeasure of her friends at school and he delves into what upset her about the divide.

"They called her a devil worshipper because she refused to go to church with her parents or take part in any religious services."

"And what did she say about the way she was being treated?" She asks.

"She hated it. She hated having to defend herself all the time to them. She said that her dad was giving her a pretty rough time over not going to church, said he would drag her there."

"And did Mr Tait force her into attending church?" Jane probes curiously.

"He grounded her, locked her windows and put a lock on the door from outside. He said it was our influence that was making her think like that."

"And did you and your friends have any influence on Rebecca's opinions?" Korsak asks.

"Rebecca knew her own mind from the start, Detective Korsak. She didn't have any trouble telling anyone what she thought. She told us that she believed that something was out there, but didn't know what for sure and she made it clear she didn't believe in what she had been taught as a kid. I respected her for making up her own mind."

"Was that the only problem Rebecca was having with her parents?" Jane wonders out loud. 

"I think they had problems like every kid does, but Mr Tait was controlling. I only ever met him twice and I didn't like him?"

"Tell us about those times you met him, Jordan." She answers and waits patiently.

"We had been friends for a few weeks when we first met him. A group of us were at my place and we were hanging out, listening to music and just talking. A car screeched into the driveway and Mr Tait was shouting for Rebecca. She was embarrassed when he came into the garage and yanked her by the arm. He was so angry."

"Did you ever find out what made Mr Tait so angry?" Vince asks.

"He was shouting about how she had been brought up better than this, to hang with us no hopers and waste her time. He just kept yelling about how bad we were."

"And would you say you were bad like Mr Tait claimed you were?" She waits for a reply.

"We were kids and we did stupid things, but we weren't bad. We maybe egged a few houses and made prank calls, but we weren't a danger to society."

"So what would give Mr Tait the impression that you and your friends were leading Rebecca astray?" Korsak says out loud. "What made him think you weren't good for his daughter."

"Detective Korsak, the only way I can answer that is by saying that we didn't fit in. We didn't go to a fancy school or have the money to buy new stuff all the time. We were seen as a lower class by him."

******

"Interesting spin on things." Korsak announces as he grabs a bottle of water from the vending machine. "Right now we have two different versions of events by two groups of people who are complete opposites. So, where do we go from here?"

"I want to talk to Mrs Corrigan and see what she says. She seems to have had Rebecca Tait pegged as a bad kid. What did her statement say?"

"The same as Barnes." He answers dryly. 

"Well, let's see what she has to say about it."


	5. Chapter 5

The interior of the privately run school is equally as grand as it looks on the outside with it's sculpted bushes and stone statues. The floors inside are original hardwood covered with old fashioned rugs, heavy drapes in the windows and Victorian styled chairs and sofas in the reception area. The old woman at the desk types away on an old fashioned typewriter and the detectives start to wonder if they have gone back in time. It's an easy assumption to make with such an old fashioned and Victorian designed decor, neither of them seeing anything except the lights as modern. Eventually they are led up to the second floor via a very old but beautiful stair case, past paintings and paraphernalia from a forgotten time in history that is suddenly forced upon everyone. The corridors all look the same and they pass classrooms that are filled with students, decorated the same as the rest of the house but with much more modern appliances like computers and interactive boards. Rizolli and Korsak follow their guide for what feels like forever and knocks on two oak double doors and gently pushes one open, standing back to allow them inside.

Irene Corrigan stands to greet her visitors in front of her desk that is carved ebony, her office space looking like a small library from a mansion and has only a few modern technologies on show. She even looks like a Victorian woman dressed in a grey skirt that sits above her ankle and a blouse that reaches her wrists, her blonde hair pulled back into a conservative clasp.

"Good afternoon, detective." Corrigan greets them. "Your assistant can wait outside in the hallway."

"Mrs Corrigan, this is detective Rizolli and not my assistant." He answers, hiding his dislike for the woman already. 

"Oh, I am sorry. Please, sit down and we shall go over this nasty business."

Rizolli gives her partner a warning look that tells him clearly to keep his mouth closed and play nice, especially if she was having to with this pompous snob.

"You said on the phone that you wished to speak about Rebecca Tait, is that correct?"

"It is." Vince answers dryly. "You've probably already been told that her disappearence is now a homicide."

"Yes, Mr Tait called me soon after he had been given the news. What a tragic time for the family."

"We're here because we need as much information as we can get about her. The more we know could lead us to her killer." He explains calmly. "When Rebecca first came to this school, what was she like?"

"Rebecca was quiet and got on with her studies. She was quite the academic and made a few good friends, but settling in to begin with was difficult for her. On occasion I sat her down and asked her what the problems were for her unacceptable behaviour."

"What was she doing that you didn't like?" Jane asks.

"Detective, it isn't about what I do or don't like, but what is acceptable. Every student in this school knows what is expected of them and gives one hundred percent commitment every day. Rebecca was the opposite. She was rude and uncooperative, quite literally abusive towards members of the staff and other students. Rebecca made it perfectly clear that she had no intentions of confirming to the school rules or responsibility."

"Maybe she felt she was being forced into doing things she didn't like." Vince points out. "Maybe that's why she acted out."

"We all have to do things in life we don't necessarily like, detective. But we owe it to ourselves to be the best that we can be and set the best example of moral standing."

"And what about Rebecca Tait, Mrs Corrigan?" Rizolli jumps in, clearly unimpressed by the teacher. "Was she of moral standing?"

"Rebecca Tait was frequently guided in the direction of being a solid person and every time, she lashed out physically and verbally. She refused to settle down."

"Some of her friends have given us mixed views on what she was like. Some say that she knew her own mind and some say she was pushed to breaking." He tells her with diplomacy. "Did you or the staff have any issues with Rebecca in class?"

"It would depend on where you received your information, detectives. Rebecca had two groups of friends, one that I approve of that she had here at school and the others, are outsiders. They filled that girl's head with nonsense and she bought into it, starting picking fights over nothing in classes and getting into every kind of trouble you can imagine."

"So Rebecca was being a typical teenager and rebelling against authority?" Jane asks for confirmation and Corrigan nods.

"Not one single member of staff allowed her to indulge in her behaviour and she would be punished for her outbursts as seen, the punishment in proportion to the crime."

"What kind of things did Rebecca argue about in class, Mrs Corrigan?" Jane probes and turns sympathetic as if she is on the same side as the woman across the table. 

"One day she was attending the Religious Studies class and the topic of conversation was Euthanasia and how assisting suicide is an equally damning a sin as murder. Rebecca disagreed and was very forceful with her opinions."

"Aren't the students encouraged to debate subjects and put their points across?" Vince butts in.

"This school is one of the top three in the country and allowing a student to bring their education into question is not encouraged. No, students are there to learn and not to argue. Rebecca never accepted what she was told and fought it on everything, giving what she would call informed opinions."

Rizolli and Korsak both felt they were going around in circles with the head of the year and wondered why they had even bothered to interview her. Everything she said showed Rebecca Tait in a bad light from her and the school's point of view, but the detectives have a theory of their own. The young woman who they had seen on a mortuary slab had definitley shown her teachers that she knew her own mind and backed it up with evidence after they read some reports she had done arguing the opposite of the school's opinions on controversial subjects. It appeared that Rebecca was shunned as a trouble maker, but the detectives had seen no evidence to support this other than witnesses's statements. 

"Now that we've spoken to you, we would like to interview staff and students as soon as possible." Jane announces.

"I'm afraid that your request is quite out of the question. The staff and students are incredibly busy and this is a school, not a rogue's gallery."

"Mrs Corrigan, I don't think you realise how important it is for us to talk to everyone who talked to or knew Rebecca Tait." Jane explains impatiently. "This is a homicide investigation and we expect full cooperation."

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to break up preplanned and important schedules."

"Well, we'll just have to get a warrant and subpoena. We need to see files and everything you have on Rebecca and the newspapers and parents wouldn't be too happy If the cops are swarming all over the place."

The teacher's mouth is a stiff line and the vein in her neck pulses hard and fast. She doesn't like being made out to be the little guy and doesn't like being made to look stupid either. With egg on her face, she has no reason to refuse the interviews and returns to her desk once the detectives are gone, drumming her fingertips on the polished wood. There's no hiding how furious she is and how she had been outsmarted by two strangers, one of which is a female and who shouldn't be playing cops and robbers.

"I'm sorry, but in the interests of the staff and students, I cannot allow you to interrupt their schedules. If the parents find out that their children are being interviewed and their curriculum is being postponed, they aren't going to very happy about that."

"Mrs Corrigan, I think the parents would be less than happy if their kids were pulled in for a much more formal interview." Korsak adds slyly. "And of course this fine school would be noted as being uncooperative in an investigation. A very serious investigation."

"There is no need to threaten me, detective and I don't appreciate being blackmailed either."

"Mrs Corrigan, no one is blackmailing you." Rizolli butts in subtly. "We are just pointing out the facts. The facts are why we are here, not to be given biased opinions."

"I resent that insinuation, Detective Rizolli."

"There's no insinuation, Mrs Corrigan." The female shrugs in response. "I just don't understand that if Rebecca Tait was such a problem, why wasn't she given any offer of help."

"Rebecca Tait was given as much help as we could give her. She didn't respond to the help we gave her and we involved her parents and they seemed unable to control her either."

"And what help did she get offered?" Korsak asks pointedly.

"We encouraged Rebecca to partake in extra classes in her own time, offered her extra one on one time with her teachers."

"And this was supposed to help her?" Vince sighs with a shake of his head. "What about counselling services or getting her to speak to a professional?"

"Detective, this school is not a day care centre. We did what we had to and what we saw fit in able to help her and that's the end of the matter. I will...allow you to interview her teachers and only the students she took those classes with. Am I completely clear that I want minimum disruption."

Rizolli and Korsak leave the office infuriated by Corrigan's attitude towards Rebecca Tait and to the care of the students she is charged with looking after.  
They are unimpressed with the way she handled the whole interview and they can't help but wonder if the parents of the students are aware of what really is going on at the school and the press would have a field day with the scandal. 

****

Most of the students corroborate Joanna Norton and Jordan Turner's opinions of Rebecca Tait and very few of her peers had anything negative to say about her, only that she didn't come from such a refined background. The detectives find it odd that her classmates, some of who she associated with and others she didn't, most of them had the same opinion and yet her parents and head of year were giving entirely different accounts. They find that most interesting. Only a few of the teachers admitted to actually having problems with Rebecca and of course they put the blame entirely on the young girl. They called her disruptive and a bad influence, a child who didn't belong in such a top rated school and who literally made things difficult with her attitude and outspoken opinions. But Rizolli and Korsak hadn't interviewed everyone and were eager to speak to as many people as possible to get the full picture.

Bryan Walker teaches English and had taught Rebecca Tait for a eighteen months before she ran away. He was keen to speak to the detectives and went out of his way to do so, getting a fellow teacher from the social studies department to cover his class. On appearance he is average in height and build, but has very attractive and distinctive blue eyes against his jet black hair. Jane notices that he is very attractive and can see his female students gazing at him longingly.   
The interview begins as all the others began and background information was gathered and written down, soon turning to why he was so desperate to see the school's visitors and is asked to start at the beginning when he first met the missing teenager.

"At first she was shy and withdrawn, reluctant to mix with being the new kid and after a few weeks she came out of her shell, started answering questions, asking questions and talking to her peers."

"It must have been difficult for her to mix when she had been thrown in to a new environment." Jane agrees. "Did she ever talk about how she felt about moving here and why?"

"There were a few comments I heard in the first few weeks and she really was so unhappy about coming here. She made it clear to everyone if they asked, but I don't know for certain why."

"Do you have any thoughts on it, Mr Walker?" She asks in a friendly manner.

"I always got the impression that she was under pressure at home, what kind I don't know. I had the class do a personal essay and they were to write about both parents, an excercise to help the class gel some more."

"Did Rebecca complete the assignment?" Jane probes. 

"She did and she didn't. First she refused to, said she wasn't going to be a hyprocite by hating them and blowing smoke up their ass. I thought at first that she was just mad because she had been taken from everything she knew, then something else clicked and I realised that she was having problems at home. I asked her about it and she always told me to mind my own business or would say everything was fine, but eventually she did tell me bits and pieces."

Korsak and Rizolli glance at each other and they both realise that what they are going to be told could blow open the case. But they would also need hard evidence and not distraught teenager's word for it. Mr Walker is so far managing to give them something to go on, but he is wary of who is hanging around the corridor.

"Why are you so nervous?" Korsak asks as he follows the other man's gaze to the noise in the corridor.

"We were all told to assist you, but this is more than assisting. They think we could let something slip about the school or being it down with a comment."

"And what would they be worried about?" He asks. "Everything looks how it should."

"You don't understand, detective Korsak. None of the kids in this school are given counselling or psychiatry sessions, even when they're pushed to the limit. This place prides itself on it's strict routine and discipline."

"You should report this to the board." The big detective answers. 

"A teacher did when I first arrived and then she was suddenly suspended for allegedly assaulting a student. I never believed it. The board have influence in a lot of places."

"Did you try to get Rebecca help?" Rizolli butts in. "Was she as bad a kid as Mrs Corrigan said she was?"

"I went to Mrs Corrigan several times about Rebecca and every time I spoke to her, she told me that there was no need. But I think she was more worried about how the parents of rich kids would feel if the school brought in a shrink. But Rebecca wasn't as bad as she is made out to be. She had opinions and she voiced them. She could be a little outspoken, but she wasn't the most rebellious student."

"Mrs Corrigan said she was constantly getting intro trouble." Jane points out. "Was she?"

"I never had any trouble with her, detective. But she was clearly troubled by something and over several weeks, she started opening up to me about what was bothering her."

"Did you found out what was going on with her?" She asks softly, feeling suddenly optimistic.

"I asked her why she was so against writing that essay about her family and after a lot of persuading, she told me that she and her parents were having a lot of problems. At first she said that she was angry about being made to move here, said that because she had friends and ideas that her parents didn't agree with, she was made to move."

"We've spoken to several people and they've said the same things." Jane concludes and then asks. "Did she say anything else?"

"She would talk about arguments that she had with her dad, but she never went into details. A few times she had bruises and cuts on her arms, but anytime I asked about them, she clammed up. But just before she ran away, she was very uptight and distressed but I couldn't get it out of her. I think she ran away because of it."

"Did you talk to Detective Barnes about your suspicions?" Korsak intervenes.

"He wasn't interested. Any time I mentioned that he look at her home life a bit closer, I was told that the matter was closed."

 

Rizolli and Korsak leave the school with a good idea that there was alot more going on in the Tait home than they first thought. But their suspicions were confirmed when Bryan Walker told them what he had seen and heard from Rebecca, guessing that there was much more to the Tait's than originally met the eye and they plan on investigating further, much further.

******

It had been a long day and Vince and Jane are tired out from interviewing and typing up their reports on a laptop, making charts and diagrams of possible motives as to why Rebecca ran away. They are frustrated and tired. The whole case is hard work and they don't seem to have anything to show for it as they write notes and study the brainstorm chart that is pretty empty. They had expected to have answers and instead they were given riddles and problems. Jane is working her way through a Burger King meal as Vince paces the room, his cell clamped to his ear. Eventually he hangs up and sits on the edge of the bed with a sigh, rubbing his eyes.

"That wasn't good news, was it?" She asks inbetween mouth fulls and washes it down with soda. 

"That was Barry. He's found out something interesting about our local cop Detective Barnes and Corrigan."

"So, what is it?" She asks impatiently.

"They've both known each other for years, attend the same charity functions and dinners."

"Hardly a crime." She snorts.

"Barnes is on the education and acceptance panel at the school. He plays a role in whether kids are worthy to get in and be there. For some reason they didn't even bother to speak to Rebecca, just went through her folks."

"That doesn't make sense." Jane answers and sets down her half eaten burger. "Why would they allow Rebecca Tait into such a prestigious school if she wasn't suited to there?"

"Because the Tait's also go to church with Barnes and give very generous donations at charity events. Frost pulled some old news clippings and in a photo, the Tait's and Barnes looks very cosy."

"So Corrigan is only linked because she knows Barnes?" She queries out loud.

"It's better than that, Jane. Corrigan and Mr Tait were married before his current wife came into the picture." 

"Seriously?" She can't help but sound shocked by the finding and Korsak nods in return. "Why did they divorce?"

"On paper, it said due to unreconcilanle differences. That, could mean anything."

"I think we need to have another talk with the Tait's. Anything else?" She pops a soggy fry into her mouth.

"One thing and there's been CCTV from surrounding streets been collected, but it could take a few days to get through it."

"We can wait." Jane agrees. "First thing tomorrow we speak to the Tait's."

"I wonder if his wife knew he had been married before and to the woman who is supposed to care for their daughter."

"I don't know, Vince." She says with a sigh and shakes her head. "If we talk to her, I think we should do it alone and away from her husband."

"Good idea. I'm going to hit the hay and I'll see you tomorrow, and don't be looking into all the files all over again."

"Scouts honour and besides, I'm too bushed." She stifles a yawn in reply.

Rizolli and Korsak say goodnight and they retire to their respective rooms and plan on getting a good nights sleep before they figure out the next step of their investigation.


	6. Chapter 6

Shirley Tait had been on her way to the grocery store when she was greeted by the two detectives, and went with them to a coffee shop near the store to sit and talk away from the house. Rizolli and Korsak are surprised at how different Shirley Tait is away from her husband, more relaxed and doesn't appear to be walking on eggshells around him. She even appears more confident and more outspoken without Raymond leaning on her, either consciously or subconsciously. They had allowed the grieving mother to drive by herself over to the coffee shop, unaware that she was being watched so she didn't make any calls to her husband and raise the alarm. Rizolli and Korsak firmly believe that Raymond Tait would lawyer up if he felt threatened in way, shape or form and that is the last thing they want before speaking to Raymond himself about his previous relationship with Irene Corrigan. 

Vince Korsak returns to the table with three coffees and a selection of pastries, much to Shirley's delight. She had insisted on paying for their drinks, but Korsak assertively objected and won the argument. They begin the interview by relaxing Shirley Tait, asking her how she's coping with the news of her daughter's murder and how her husband is, asking about different things like where Shirley and Raymond grew up, how they met. Everything is asked for a reason, to obtain information and put the grieving mother at ease. 

"Shirley, some of the questions we have to ask are intrusive, but they do need to be asked." Vince says kindly. "We understand that this is an extremely difficult time for you, but we need answers."

"I understand, Detective Korsak. Since your visit I've been going over everything and hoping something jumps out that's important, but I don't know what is important."

"The best thing you can do is stay clear minded and let us do the thinking and asking questions." He answers. "What was Rebecca like before she moved here?"

"Rebecca was like every other girl, always had big dreams of what she wanted and what she was going to do when she got older. She was always changing her mind about what she wanted to do, being a nurse or a teacher seemed to be the two she always went back to. But she started to change and we didn't like the person she was becoming."

"When was the first time you realised she was acting differently?" He queries, remaining understanding and soft spoken.   
"I was out in the yard when I heard the phone ringing so I dashed inside and it was the vice principle, Mr Limond. He wouldn't discuss it over the phone so I went down and he told me what had happened. Rebecca had been caught selling cigarettes to other students and when she was confronted about it, got abusive. Mr Limond also said that she had been getting into more and more trouble in classes, not turning assignments in and being such a pain."

"What happened after that?" Korsak scribbles more notes down.

"I took her home, grounded her for a month and it just made things worse. She would sneak out and cause mayhem, at least that's what everyone said. One night she was so mad when the deputy came to the door and demanded to speak to her about a house being broken into and smashed up. He said her new group of friends were all known for it but could never be caught."

"What happened when she was accused of being in on the break in?" He wonders.

"She was furious that she could be blamed, that any of her friends could be blamed and that there was no proof to say it was them." 

"If there's no proof of whose responsible then the officers would just have to hope the next time that they would be caught." He answers, completely unsurprised by the small town deputy's attitude.

"I asked her if she knew anything about it, she said she didn't and I believed her. After that there was more trouble in school and out of it, and we did what we could to stop her. This group of friends seemed to be the ones influencing her."

"And shortly after you moved here?" Korsak clarifies and gets a nod in response. "How did she take the news of moving?" 

"She wasn't happy and got even moodier once we were here. She resented the move and felt like she had been dragged away from her friends."

"I think that's how every teenager would feel in that situation." He replies smoothly. "How was Rebecca after settling in here?"

"It was like having the old Rebecca back for a while, sweet and innocent. Then she found more bad kids and got influenced by them.It was like nothing had really changed and she was as bad as ever."

"How did you and Rebecca get on as mom and daughter?" He wonders out loud.

"We were like mother and daughter, the usual. I wouldn't say we bonded over looking through girly magazines or talk about boys or anything like that. I was her mother."

"And how about Rebecca's relationship with her father?" Jane asks. 

"We weren't her friends, Detective Rizolli. We were her parents, there to raise her and guide her. We always had her best interests at heart and that's why we enrolled her in private school. Raymond is such a wonderful father, brilliant and strong, caring and always doing what is right. I am so proud of him as Rebecca's father." 

They decide to end the interview and question Raymond Tait about his previous marriage to Irene Corrigan first, of course with his current wife in the same room. It would be used as a tactic to divide the couple since it was more than obvious that she was protecting him almost obsessively, refusing point blank to let her guard down at any point in the interview. They allow Shirley Tait to resume with her shopping trip and order another coffee, deciding to follow her back to the house and question Raymond at the same time, but first they decide to go over a few things in the original statements and talk to Barnes. They discovered that after talking to one of his colleagues, Barnes had flown out after a family emergency and his arrival back was still unknown, something about a sick relative. Rizolli and Korsak were frustrated by the unplanned trip and would have to interview the Tait's again without speaking to Barnes first. After dinner, they decide that the residence is their first port of call.

****

There is an atmosphere between the Tait's and Shirley had dried her eyes with an apron as she answered the door, her husband sitting stony faced and clearly angry about something. They apologise for the intrusion and explain that there's a few things they want to clear up and they're offered coffee and banana bread. Raymond Tait is quiet and physically wound up as his wife plays host. 

"What can we help you with, detectives?" Shirley asks and they can see she is putting on a brave face.

"We've got some questions that need answered." Korsak answers diplomatically. "Mostly about relationships between several people who are connected to Rebecca and the case. How is it you know Ed Barnes other than being the investigator?" 

"Ed goes to our church and we've supported many of his charities that he's collected for." Shirley answers. "He's also on the acceptance panel at the school and that's what helped us getting Rebecca fast tracked in there. He's a very good friend of ours."

"Must have been awful being so close to the family and then investigating the disappearance." The detective says out loud, using his acting skills of sympathy and understanding.

"Ed took it hard. He did everything he could to find Rebecca and every time he came round or called, he felt bad because he didn't know anything new that he could tell us." Mrs Tait agrees sadly.

"I understand that. It doesn't matter how many times you have that conversation it never gets easier." Korsak decides to move on. "How did you know Irene Corrigan?" 

"She's....was Rebecca's guidance teacher. She tried so hard to help Rebecca, give her support and it was thrown back in her face." The mother answers. 

"Do you ever socially interact with Mrs Corrigan?" Jane asks, taking over the line of questioning. 

"Only at PTA meetings. I can't remember the last time we went to one of those. Usually I would do some baking and take it along." Shirley replies.

"And you're sure you don't know her any other way?" Korsak asks, making his point that he knows something she doesn't.

"I don't understand." Shirley says, confused and turns to her husband. "Raymond?"

"I don't know." He shrugs.

"As part of any homicide investigation we look into the backgrounds not just of the victim, but also of the people around them and who knew them, friends and family." Korsak explains casually like it's no big deal.

Raymond Tait looks uncomfortable in his armchair. He is glaring at the two detectives and has realised exactly why they are asking questions about associations. He is suddenly very nervous and starts to perspire as he shifts uncomfortably.

"Mr Tait, can you think of any reason why we find the family's relationship with Irene Corrigan unusual?" Vince asks and when he doesn't get an answer starts pushing more.

"I don't understand what's going on here." Shirley says after listening to the exchange. "Detective?"

"We have documents that confirm our information that Raymond knew Irene Corrigan prior to moving here and enrolling Rebecca at school." Jane tells her. "They were previously married and divorced after eighteen months. Irene Corrigan left the state and then three years later according to the marriage certificate, you and Raymond got married."

Shirley Tait's face changes as she looks to her husband to deny the allegation, but he goes tomato red instead. They know now that Mrs Tait hadn't known a thing about her husband's previous marriage and is looking hurt because it took two outsiders to tell her.

"What are they talking about, Raymond?" She asks.

"Nothing." He snaps. "Nothing to do with anything."

"Please, tell me that it isn't true." Shirley pleads, emotion stinging her eyes. 

"The truth would be preferable, Mr Tait." Jane says evenly.

"I've got you to thank for this." He snaps at Jane and sighs heavily. "Okay, I knew Irene a long time ago and we thought we were in love and got married, but it didn't last. End of story."

Shirley Tarot finally starts crying as she hears the truth for the first time and goes into the kitchen, not being followed by her husband out of concern or guilt. He just sits there and doesn't even attempt to console his heartbroken wife.

"Are you people happy now?" He suddenly blurts out. "There was no need to bring up something that happened years ago! I'm going to be making an official complaint about this! Now, get out of my house or I'll call the real cops!"

Vince and Jane are reluctant to leave things as they are and know that them staying and forcing answers could go very wrong for the entire investigation. They are just about to leave when Jane's cell rings, she answers and motions to her partner to stall for time. It's Maura and Barry and they sound excited. Quickly they run down what they've discovered and Jane is happy with the result of their enquiries, knowing that Maura would help regardless of her jurisdiction and always had been more than just the medical examiner. Jane ends the call and turns to Korsak. 

"We need to get back to the motel. Barry's got some information he's going to be emailing us and it sounds important." 

"Mr Tait, we will be coming back to interview you and your wife so I suggest you get used to us being around here, digging up whatever dirt we need to so we can solve your daughter's murder." Korsak addresses Tait calmly, but hates his guts. "Good night."

***

 

"What's going on?" Korsak asks as they go into his room of the motel. "Jane?"

"A friend of Rebecca's has come forward after seeing the appeal on the news. She has diaries belonging to Rebecca."

"So, the kid had diaries." He answers, failing to see the relevance.

"She had written down why she left home. There's two boxes of them and Barry read through them and he found useful info which he's checking out. He's setting us up with a video link so we can interview the friend and she knows more than anyone else."

"What's he checking out?" 

Jane flashes a smile at him and he knows by her reaction that it's big news. Whatever it is, it's been worth the wait. He just hopes it can possibly point them to the killer.


	7. Chapter 7

Jane feels as if she is invading Rebecca Tait's privacy by reading the photocoped diary entries, imagining the upset it causes when worried mothers go snooping and read page after page of private thoughts and feelings. She reads on, from the very first diary entry until the very last. Even while in Boston, Rebecca still spent some time writing in her journal and Jane is pleased that the young woman continued. The entries make fascinating reading and she scribbles down things she wants to find out more about and desperately searches for some indication of why she really left home. She continues to read, disregarding what Barry Frost found out so she can look at it with a fresh set of eyes. Jane finally gets to the entry that had first intrigued Frost and she reads it slowly, absorbing the words. Jane highlights some of the entries with a pen, ones that she thinks could explain why she ran away from home. The first entry is when Rebecca is thirteen years old, the day after her birthday.

"Mom and dad had argued last night once everyone went home from the party. I had a great time until they started fighting again and I loved having some friends over with my grandma and pops. I'm really lucky to get all those nice things, but I just wished that once everyone had gone that it would still be nice. Mom and dad had been fighting a lot and I stayed in my room out of their way. I don't know what they were fighting about and I don't want to know, probably something stupid like usual. Mom had gone out and dad came into my room to tuck me in he said, but he was acting really weird. He wasn't drunk like those other times he acted weird. He said I owed him a big hug and kiss for the special gifts I had got, so I did and he didn't let me go to sleep. He kept talking weird, saying things like I was his special girl and no one could find out how special I was to him. He told me he loved me and I told him I loved him and then he got even weirder. He started running my leg like he used to when I was little and had ran into something or had fell, but he kept moving his hand closer to.....It was all just weird. He kept saying I was a little lady now and little ladies had to learn how to make their husbands feel good. He had done this when he was drunk, but never when he was okay. After it he would make me promise not to tell anyone or mom would leave and I would have to go to a school somewhere else and never be allowed to come home. But last night.....dad touched me. I'm not stupid and I know what sex is. We learned about it in school. Dad kept doing weird things to me and telling me to be quiet. I told him to stop and he didn't. He kissed me but it wasn't a normal kiss, it was horrible. He kept kissing me and touching me. He was hurting me but it wouldn't stop. He kept telling me how special I was. He had a....boner, one of those and I could feel it. He kept wiggling on top of me and making those sex noises the boys made during the videos. Then he stopped, wheezing and kissed me good night and left. After he he had gone I cried and couldn't sleep. All I could think about was what he was doing to me and I couldn't make him stop. I have to make it stop."

Jane feels her stomach churn as she reads the passage and it's clear what was taking place on those nightly visits. She keeps reading and fights the disgust and hate that is growing for Raymond Tait, desperate to know if being abused by her father is what made her get intro trouble and eventually run away. Jane finds more entries like the one after her thirteenth birthday and she feels a little better when Rebecca writes about her days at school, how she's enjoying certain subjects or recalls how excited she was about a birthday party or hanging around with friends and what they got up to when there were no adults around. Rebecca was a typical teenager who was exploring everything she could, even if it meant breaking a few rules. But then Jane found an entry that really empathized what was going on during the night when Raymond went to tuck his daughter in.

"Today has been horrible. It's almost lunch time and I haven't been to sleep. I can't stop crying or thinking about it. Things have got worse and dad.....he did something so bad that I hate him for it. He came into my room like he usually does and this time he took off my pyjamas.....He put a finger inside of me and I tried to scream to make him stop, but he just covered my mouth and kept doing it over and over. It hurt so bad. It hurt so freaking bad I kept crying t and screaming. He put his hand over my mouth and then I saw him take off his belt and got on top of me like before. I couldn't breathe he was so heavy and I tried shouting for mom and he promised me he would stop if I calmed down. I couldn't calm down and I kept trying to push him away. He moved and I thought he was going to get off me and leave me alone, but he didn't. Dad forced his penis inside of me.....It hurt so bad I was going to be sick. I couldn't stop screaming as he wiggled and wiggled. It hurt more and more, the pain getting worse. I must have blacked out cause when I wake up dad is wiping me down there with a cloth and I looked down and saw blood. He had hurt me so bad I was bleeding!!!! How could he do this to me? How could he do this to his kid?! Once dad left I was sick and mom came in from work and got us up for school. She said I was running a fever and let me stay home with her. She asked what was wrong and I lied to her and told her I had a stomach ache, so mom let me chill in my room and she went to bed for a few hours. I want to tell mom but I can't. I don't know how to tell her and hearing about the bad things dad done will make her leave us. I don't want mom to leave us. But I want to tell her dad is hurting me so bad and I'm scared. I'm scared of what he's going to do to me if he finds out I've told. I can't tell a living soul for as long as I live. I just want him to stop. I don't want to be raped."

Rizolli closes her eyes in anguish as she imagines the horror the thirteen year old child had to endure. It has made the detective physically sick and she wants to make Raymond Tait suffer. She wants to make him feel the same vulnerability and fear his daughter felt while he abused her religiously and then Jane reads through more of the entries to find the same thing, but it seeing that Rebecca is growing much angrier about it. A few journals in, Jane can't see why the original group of friends who were allegedly trouble were shunned and Rebecca's actions as she spoke about them weren't even half as bad as some kids. She was being a teenager, being a girl and having fun. Rizolli reads on and learns how the move was affecting young Rebecca and even after that, things were getting worse. The teenager had found friends at school and on the outside of school, much to her father's dislike. He had claimed he wanted the best for her and her rebelling got worse as she acted out more and more. Her father kept blaming the kids who weren't from rich families or went to the private school, she did things because she wanted to and he couldn't understand that. Jane sees more anger and resentment on the scrawled pages, understanding how the whole ordeal must have been to go through and feeling so afraid to share the problem with anyone. But Jane makes a small breakthrough as she reads the last few entries Rebecca Tait had written before running off to Boston.

Korsak answers his room door dressed in a towel and apologises profusely as Jane walks in and sits down in the chair next to the window. He had showered while she had gone through the print outs and she clearly has something on her mind, but he first he makes it clear that he is getting dressed before any discussion takes place. A few minutes later Vince emerges from the bathroom, dressed and ready to listen. 

"What did you find?" He asks Jane. "I know that look, you've found something."

"Barry was eight, the diaries were a catalogue of abuse. No wonder she ran away." 

"Must be pretty bad to let it get to you like this." He says, knowing that she is usually the one with the strongest stomach on the team. "Jane?" 

"He had already started abusing her when he was drunk, but on the night of her thirteenth birthday he went to her room completely sober. She wanted him to stop, but he wouldn't. What kind of evil bastard abuses any child, not just their own daughter?" 

"Jane, you know as well as I do that there's a lot of sick animals out there and it doesn't matter to them who they're abusing." He says it gently, understanding how she feels about t the whole thing. "Did Rebecca say if she tried to tell anyone?" 

"There was one friend she told after the rape and at the same time she started misbehaving. I think she wanted people to sit down and ask her what was going on."

"And we know people did try, Jane." Vince replies.

"But every time her parents were there. Can you imagine what would have happened to her if she had told someone right in front of him? She was scared. She was scared of what would happen to her it she did."

"Like every other child assault case, the kid is scared cause they were threatened." He agrees and pours them both a drink from the bottle of scotch from his suitcase, both of them needing it. "Drink this."

"Thanks. I wonder if the real reason they moved is because people kept asking questions. It fits, especially now." 

"It does, but if we go asking Raymond Tait what he did to his daughter it's going to get messy and he's going to deny all of it." He reasons and takes a large gulp of the scotch. "No wonder the poor kid was messed up."

"And all of this doesn't tell us who killed Rebecca or why. All we have is why she ran away. This isn't helping find her killer."

"I know, but we can't just leave what we've learned here." Vince replies sadly. "Anyone whose been through that deserves justice, even if they aren't here to see it done."

"I just hope this doesn't involve talking to Barnes. I think if we put him in the picture he would warn Tait we were going after him."

"Exactly, and that's why I already have it all worked out." The veteran cop answers with a smile. "We're going to see Camilla Rowe and the Chief."

*****

Ed Barnes isn't at all happy to find the two outsiders in his office and decides to make their chat as brief as possible. He's busy, too busy to sit and talk with them about their facade of an invesitgation. He greets them professionally and the sits in front of them. Rizolli and Korsak can tell that Barnes isn't happy to see them at all.

"What can I do for you this time?" 

"We have discovered why Rebecca Tait ran away from home or at least what was going on to make her leave." Jane tells him. "Things were happening to her that she couldn't control and couldn't stop, that's why she ran away."

"That's what happens when you have bad influences as friends."

"We aren't talking about her friends. We're talking about what was happening at home." She replies curtly.

"Let me guess, she wasn't getting her own way and took off? Rebecca was trouble. She probably pissed off the wrong person in Boston and ended up dead, she deserves what she got."

"So being sexually molested and raped by her father is what she deserves?" She asks him, pausing to see his reaction.

"You're barking up the wrong tree, detective Rizolli. Whoever told you that is a liar."

"A friend of Rebecca's in Boston found childhood diaries and it was Rebecca who described in detail what was going on." She explains, irritated at the man. "She was molested and eventually raped repeatedly by her father."

"That's a lie! Raymond is a good man, was a good father. He would do anything for anyone and you're going to blacken his name over a lie? You have no proof any of this is true."

"That's where you're wrong." Jane says evenly and is going to take delight in revealing the evidence that says it's all true. "Rebecca was taken for an abortion by her father at the age of fifteen, her father signing the paperwork. A nurse there overheard him threatening Rebecca and even made the doctor aware of it. Did you know that the child protection services were called before the Tait's even moved here? Rebecca had told a friend and her parents took Rebecca to a doctor to be examined once she admitted that she was being abused and who by, then they disappeared to here. That's all on record."

"You've got this all wrong! Rebecca was a vicious girl who would do anything she could for attention." 

"The doctor at the abortion clinic kept samples to be tested for STI's, so we are going to be asking for a comparison between the DNA in storage and Raymond Tait's." Korsak adds, straight faced. 

"You don't have any authority to do this!"

"We've already spoken to your chief and he's given us the go ahead and Camilla Rowe is already preparing the paperwork." Vince answers smugly and pushes a letter across the desk.

"What's this?" 

"This is the warrant to be issued for a search of the home to be started as soon as we leave here." The male detective answers. "But there's someone who wants to talk to you first."

Barnes sits flabbergasted as the chief and Camilla Rowe enter his office and he is instructed not to contact the Tait's and is to be suspended pending an Internal Affairs enquiry. He is mad, seething as he is led away with the chief and his right hand man, Camilla Rowe sitting down in Barnes's chair to help in the investigation.

"Let's get justice for this poor girl who suffered through her childhood." Camilla says as she opens her briefcase. "Then we can concentrate on who killed her and what the reason was. Detectives, bring in Raymond Tait for questioning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for explicit content and mentioning of child abuse.


	8. Chapter 8

The neighbors are naturally curious at the sight of all the commotion at the Tait residence, curtains twitching and suddenly everyone is out conveniently walking their dogs. It was the black and white cruiser's that had grabbed everyone's attention and then followed the unmarked cars. Nothing like this had happened in the street before, so it's only natural that the neighbors are taking an interest. Korsak knocks on the front door and waits for an answer. It's Shirley Tait who opens the door and is surprised to see the detectives and other officers standing in her doorstep. 

 

"Can I.....what's going on?" She asks, alarmed. 'What's happened?" 

"Mrs Tait, we need to speak to your husband." Korsak says and they are led through to the sitting room. 'We have a warrant to search the premises." 

"What for?" Mr Tait snaps, standing up from his chair. "You have no right to do this! You people have already searched Rebecca's room and found nothing. I want to know what you people are doing to find out who killed her!"

"Mr Tait, you need to calm down." Vince says calmly. 

"No, I will not calm down!" The man argues. "Her killer could be anywhere and you people are here, harassing us and it's getting you no closer to finding the murderer." 

"Mr Tait." Korsak says loudly, stunning the angry father for a few minutes so he can explain. "Raymond Tait, we are placing you under arrest for the child abuse of your daughter that has come to light in the investigation. Officer, read him his rights and take him back."

"This is ridiculous!" The arrested man yells. "This is ridiculous! I want my lawyer right now. This is outrageous!"

It takes two officers to get Raymond Tait out of the house and into the back of a police car, the same curious neighbours in awe as they watch the scene in front of them. Meanwhile, Shirley Tait is shouting hysterically that they have it wrong and that her husband would never do such a disgusting thing. Rizolli managed to convince Mrs Tait to join her husband at the station so they could also ask her some questions while the search warrant is carried out. The search teams break up and begin their work and a barricade around the house is set up to avoid any trespassers. The local police officers defer any and all questioning to the detectives in charge of the case and public relations, the neighbors of the quiet neighbourhood are suddenly fearful for their lives without knowing the whole story. As usual, people are coming up with their own theories.

 

The coffee is cold and tastes bitter and it leaves a nasty taste in her mouth, just like the entire case. Jane has watched Raymond Tait sweat through the two-way mirror for the last hour and is almost ready to start the interview, but Vince had a few calls to make first. Back in Boston, Barry Frost has been working like a beaver to get as much corroborating evidence as possie, statements from frisnds that have been chased up by local forces and photocopied every diary page and medical report for the investigation. Just as she is about to team up with Vince, her cellphone rings.

"Hi, Ma." Jane says cheerily into the phone. "I tried calling last night but you were out. Where were you?" 

"Bingo over at the community hall. They were raising funds for a local charity and I agreed to sell some pastries."

"That's great." The younger woman beams. "How much did they raise?" 

"So far they've raised four thousand dollars, double what they expected. It's going to buy all sorts of things for the kid's home." 

 

"Wow, that's a lot of money. The kid's are really going to benefit on this, huh?" She asks her mother. 

"Oh yeah, new projects and everything is going to be offered to them. Some of the retired teachers have donated their time to take lessons, just like a home school. Some of those kids can't mix well because of their problems." 

"Put me down for one hundred dollars and throw it into the pot." She says, Angela agreeing. "So, why don't you tell me what's really upset you this time, is it Frankie and Tommy again?" 

"It's not them, Janie. You're knee deep in work and I have to go."

"Ma, don't lie to me please. I know when you're lying." Jane replies.

"Okay, alright. Your fathed is.....has gotten that floozy pregnant. Who knew he had it in him." 

"Christ." She cusses and her mother warns her to not take the Lord's name on vain. "How did you find out about it?" 

"He called and said he would need go reschedule this family dinner because he was going out to celebrate being a father."

"He has three kids, so how come this one is more important?" Jane asks bitterly. "When we were kids he was fine at showing us off to his buddies, but it was you who looked after all of us. It was you who sat up with us when we had projects and homework, cooking and cleaning all day for us, for him."

"I should have known one of you would feel like that, Janie. I just hoped none of you noticed." 

"The only one who didn't notice was Tommy." She replies.

"Jane, Tommy isn't the bad guy in all of this. He just manages to look past your father's faults."

"Because dad also bails Tommy out of trouble." She reminds her mother. "Ma, i'll deal with this when I get back, so try not to worry about dad and his floozy. You were his first love and always will be, this girl is just a notch on the bed post."

"I know, Janie and thank you. I just wish I always saw it like that. Call me if you need anything done for coming back."

Rizolli knows that her mother is still broken hearted over her husband leaving her, but he had chosen to walk out on Angela and believed that the grass would be greener on the other side. Frank Rizolli had always been selfish, always putting his own needs before the needs of his wife and children, but he still thought of himself as a saint and he did manage to convince some people that his version of events were true. Jane remembers confronting his father when he overheard him make a comment to a friend about family life. She was so mad she swore she would take nothing more to do with him and it was her mother who reasoned with her and convinced her to give her father a second chance.

"Jane, are you ready?" Vince asks from the doorway of the viewing room. "Jane?" 

"Huh? Sorry, I was miles away. What did you say?" 

"I asked if you were ready to do this." He repeats himself and gently touches her arm. "Going to tell me what's wrong or are you just going to let it bother you?" 

"Dad's got his floozy pregnant and decided to boast about it to mom. Even after all this time it still hurts her, Vince. She doesn't love him like she used to, but she still cares about him."

"I've never understood how a man can so easily give up a woman like that." He tells her. "She's intelligent, funny, a real homely lady who cares about her family. She's got to feel hurt or she wouldn't be who she is."

"Thanks, Vince. I know you always had a thing for ma." 

"You do?" Korsak asks, blushing furiously and avoiding his colleague and friend's gaze. 

"I've always known, even when mom was still married. I never liked the idea of you being step-dad and it creeps me out, but if you're still interested maybe you should ask her out." 

"I never did because I wanted to respect you and your mom." He admits.

"I appreciate it, really. But maybe you two could even just be friends if you two decided to." 

"I'll keep that in mind." He says, squeezing Jane's shoulder. "Ready to nail this sick fuck?" 

"You bet. Lead the way."

 

Interview room four is the smallest of all six, cramped with only three chairs and a table that's scratched and stained. The walls are the government issue vomit yellow and the tape recorder is at least three decades old. However, the confinement of the small room looks as if it's had some kind of effect on Raymond Tait as he sits with his head bent. Some would say it is a sign of remorse and other's would say he is trying to play a game to win the trust of the officers. Korsak and Rizolli sit down across from him, remind him of his rights and get ready to break him, one way or another.

"Raymond, obviously you know by now why we are here." Vince says. "Is there anything you want to say?" 

"You people have got this all wrong. I don't know where you got your information wrong, but I think you should check it out before going on a wild goose chase."

"Mr Tait, we believe the opposite." He says. "Please, answer our questions and the sooner it's over the better. What kind of relationship do you have with your wife?"

"A terrific one. A man couldn't ask for a better woman to marry. I struck lucky when I met Shirley." 

"Do you two have problems?" Vince asks. "Like financial, differences of opinions, marriage issues?" 

"My marriage with my wife is none of your business, detective. We have the same problems any other couple has."

"Would your wife agree with you on that?" He probes gently. 

"Of course she would! I don't know what the hell you're trying to imply here, so drop whatever the hell you think you've got or i'll sue you so fast." 

"Fine, we'll just change our questions." Korsak says. "What's your relationship like with your daughter Rebecca?" 

"She was my daughter and we fought, but I loved her. She was my daughter." 

Korsak recaps for the benefit of the recording of what the Tait's said in their previous statements, confirming dates of events to establish a time line of sorts. Raymond Tait repeats everything almost word for word. The detectives then get Tait to go over the timeline that they originally gave, explaining again that his daughter had gotten into the wrong crowd before moving to their current home and continued it shortly after. The father goes on to explain how he and his wife had tried everything to keep their daughter on the right path, but there was nothing that seemed to work. Then Jane took over the questioning and stepped it up considerably from Korsak. 

"Did you ever think that Rebecca's problems was created because of what you did to her?" She asks Tait. "Usually kids act out like that when they're trying to run away from something." 

"That's lies! I don't know where the hell you got this crazy idea, but you better drop it." 

"We have witness testimony that backs that up." Jane states clearly. 

"Oh yeah, one of those troublemaking friends of hers, right? They turned her into one of them, so it should be down to them."

"Friends have given us testimonies about what Rebecca told them in confidence, but we also have first hand testimony from Rebecca herself." She says, eyeballing Tait carefully. "Rebecca kept diaries and journals."

"Most girls keep diaries, so what?" 

"She has written in those diaries a catalogue of abuse inflicfed by you. It all started when you were drinking, you would go into her room. But you took it too far on the night of her thirteenth birthday."


	9. Chapter 9

Rizzoli and Korsak had watched Raymond Tait's expression change from scowling to haunted. His demeanor had completely changed as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. They have him and he knows it, now all he needs to do is convince the detectives that they've got it wrong. He sits compliantly but is brooding, his eyes show it. He had been so confident and sure of himself when he first arrived and already he was starting to look like a cornered animal. 

"Got anything there to say, Raymond?" Rizzoli asks, folding her arms across the table. "You had so much to say before we told you about what Rebecca wrote in those diaries."

"You're lying." 

"It's okay if you really believe that, because Detective Korsak is going to read out the passage that highlights the time in question, Rebecca's thirteenth birthday." She says and nods to Korsak to read it out, which he does and then she continues her line of questioning. "What's your thoughts?" 

"She was lying! I never touched her, detective. She was my daughter."

"So where would a thirteen year old get this idea from and is able to give quite graphic details of what happened to her." She says, shrugging. "But Rebecca isn't here to tell us in person about her childhood, but we have more than enough evidence to charge you with the sexual molestation of your daughter."

"That shit won't stick in court because it's a make-believe story of a bad kid who wanted attention. No one is going to believe her so called story."

"That's where you're wrong, Raymond. We do believe what was put in those diaries and we have corroborating evidence to back it up." She removes a sheet from the folder. "You took your daughter to a private abortion clinic, didn't you?" 

"So? She was in trouble and was hanging around with those dirtbags. She got herself pregnant and I helped her get rid of it."

"How did your wife take the news?" Korsak butts in. 

"She doesn't know and she doesn't need to know. It's in the past, ancient history."

"Do you know who the father of Rebecca's baby was, Raymond?" Rizzoli asks quickly. 

"Not got a clue and frankly, I don't care. This whole thing is a waste of time."

"What's really interesting is that your daughter gets pregnant and you don't ask any questions, then you take her for a private abortion without your wife knowing any of this." Jane states for the tape. "You two must have been close."

"We were-" 

"Or is that because you wanted to shut her up because you were the one who got her pregnant?" Rizzoli let's it sink in and sees the worry in the accuseds eyes. "Because most private abortion clinics obtain and store a DNA sample of the terminated tissues. Guess who the match came back to, Mr Tait."

"I want to see my god damn lawyer." 

 

While Tait was given legal representation, Korsak and Rizzoli decided that speaking to Shirley Tait would also provide them with even more evidence against her husband. Most mother's became tyrant's and abusive if they found out someone had hurt their child and they wondered if Shirley Tait would be any different.

"Detective, please let me see my husband. What you're accusing him off isn't true and I don't know why someone would lie about him like that." 

"Mrs Tait, we understand where you're coming from but you have to let us go through this process." Vince says and briefly fills her in about the diaries, pushing over highlighted entries. "This is what your daughter wrote about her own father."

"I- I can't believe it. This isn't true!" 

"We have also obtained medical records from a private clinic that your daughter went to, to have a termination." He says gently. "These clinics store DNA when a termination is complete." 

"There is no way Rebecca could have been pregnant. She didn't even know what sex ead and when I tried to tell her, she got all shy. Do- do you know who the father of her baby was?"

"Mrs Tait, we do know who the father of her baby was and the person who signed and payed for the abortion, was your husband. This is the lab results." Korsak says and hands her the copy of the results and copies of the papers.

"It really is true, isn't it?" 

"Yeah, it is." Vince answers, knowing now that she didn't know anything about the abuse. "Your husband was abusing your daughter, got her pregnant and then made her get a termination. I'm sorry you had to find out like this." 

"I still can't believe it.....what else has she said about her life that I didn't know about. She should have come to me and I would have helped her and I would have protected her."

"Mrs Tait, I've had several cases like this one in my career and I've never found it that easy to listen to moms or dads whose kids have been hurt, one way or another." Korsak's voice is gentle understanding. "I've seen the anger and the guilt and sadness and it does pass, with time." 

"Thank you, detective. I still can't believe Raymond would do such a....disgusting thing! You've shown me the evidence and I believe you. I just wish maybe I had noticed that something wasn't right and talked to her."

"It's always easier to look back instead of going forwards. You weren't to know that this was going on and kids can be threatened to keep quiet or they think that telling someone is going to get them into trouble. There's so many layers to it." Vince explains.

"You're right, detective Korsak. I should honour her memory by getting her the justice she was owed. I want to see my husband." 

"I'll check and see if that's okay. Sit tight." He tells her and comes back a few minutes later. "You're okay for seeing him in the interview room, but we will have to keep the tape running and there will be officers behind the mirror." 

"I don't care. I just want to make that animal pay for my little girl." 

 

It's decided that Shirley Tait won't see her husband until she has calmed down and gathered her thoughts. She admitted herself that she instantly wanted to kill her husband, but agreed that doing that wouldn't let her daughter have justice for what he did. She goes goes over to the deli across the street and takes some time to herself. Meanwhile, Rizzoli and Korsak are contact by Frost and Dr Isles, the message is urgent and a interactive two way is set up. 

"Jane, can you hear me?" Maura asks as she looks into the monitor. 

"Yeah, I can hear you. What's going on?"

"I'll let Frost tell you what he's found out first, then i'll explain." The cheif medical examiner says. 

"We've found new diaries." Frost says with excitement. "She scattered them at different places so nobody could find them. We have the diary that she used just before she died."

"Anything suspicious in there?"

"Rebecca Tait had written in her diary that she was being pestered, letters, phone calls. But the most important entry is the one on the day she died. She had arranged to meet her father, Jane." Frost tells her. "Raymond Tait was in Boston the day she died, flew in the day before and left the next morning." 

"Damn, are you sure?" Korsak asks. "If she hated him so much, why would she meet him?" 

"She kept all the letters and in one of them, he told her that her mother was sick. He lured her in." The young detective answers. "We also have it on record which flights he took, where he stayed and local CCTV to back it up."

"Okay, so right now we can put him in the picture of being around Rebeccca before she was killed. But we don't have anything connecting him to her death."

"Actually, we do have something that you're going to find interesting." Dr Isles says. "It's very interesting."


	10. Chapter 10

"Okay, so what's going on?" Jane asks Maura and Frost impatiently.

"I found trace evidence on Rebecca's body, fibres and hairs. The comparison has come back, with the help from the sample at the abortion clinic." Maura answers, looking into the camera. "The trace evidence is confirmed to be skin cells and hair from Raymond Tait."

"Which means he was with her either before she died or when she died." Korsak adds.

"Exactly. We also managed to hurry up the scrapings from underneath Rebecca Tait's fingernails and again they confirm that she had some sort of struggle with her father." The M.E answers. "And i'm willing to be certain that he has some kind of scratches or abrasions to his skin caused by her scratching him."

"This is good because now we have evidence that he was with her before she died." Rizzoli agrees. 

"That's not all, Jane." Frost cuts in. "We found another diary and the last entry was written the day she died."

"What does it say?" Jane asks eagerly. 

"She wrote in her diary that her father had made contact and was in Boston. He claimed that he wanted to talk to her, bring her home." The detective in Boston explains. "We have records of his flights in and out, where he stayed and where he ate and spent money shopping. He arrived the night before the meeting and left the morning after she was killed." 

"Jesus." Vince mumbles, rubbing his eyes. "So we're sure Tait killed his daughter?" 

"Absolutely." Maura says. "And in the motel room, there was a stub for a dry cleaners on Tipton avenue, a full set of clothing, including shoes was asked to be cleaned thoroughly and it was never collected. We tested the clothes and even though it has been cleaned by chemicals, there was enough blood stains in the fibres to match the blood to a profile." 

"And it's Rebecca's?" Jane asks and Maura nods.

"And we have CCTV putting Raymond Tait at the dry cleaners and handing over the bag of clothing. We spoke to the attendant who he spoke to and she got the clothes clean." Barry explains. "He wanted to make sure there wasn't any evidence to find."

"Good work, Frost." Korsak says and hears a small cough from Maura. "And Dr Isles."

"Let's go nail this son of a bitch." Jane says and gets up from the desk and collects all the paperwork from the fax machine that Frost sent. 

 

Korsak and Rizzoli are ecstatic about the recent developments and they are thrilled that they can put the evidence to Raymond Tait. So far he has still declined an attorney to be present and already they've spoken to his wife, explaining that she can't see her husband until he has answered a few more questions. Shirley Tait is aware that something is wrong and that's why she can't speak to Raymond. She is angry, she is devastated that he could do such a thing to their daughter and then everything starts to make sense. Now she suspects the reason why Raymond was so insistent to move from their home and why he made a show of trying to control Rebecca. It's all starting to make sense and she feels guilty for not noticing what was going on in her own home. 

Jane and Vince enter the interview room and share a glance at Raymond Tait's defiance. He had refused to eat the meal provided in custody and had demanded to be released as he hasn't done anything. He looks up at them with a smirk and they are there to wipe that smirk off his face.

"Mr Tait, sorry for the delay but there's been some developments." Korsak says as he turns on the tape and states that they are continuing the interview. 

"It's about time, you know. I do have other things to do than sit here and wait for you people to get your facts straight." 

"That's interesting, because we have a few more questions for you." Vince says. "Where were you when your daughtet was murdered?" 

"Are you people being serious?"

"Just answer the question." Korsak replies.

"I was at home with my wife. We ate a dinner of roast pork and all the trimmings. Happy?" 

"That's interesting." Jane cuts in and leans on her arms. "Because we have new evidence to prove that you were actually in Boston when she was murdered." 

"Don't be ridiculous! I was at home with Shirley!" 

"We know you're not telling us the truth here, Tait. We know for a fact that you were in Boston at the time of your daughter's murder." Korsak answers. "We know for fact that you flew into Boston the night before your daughter was murdered, stayed at the Happy Snooze motel, ate dinner at Jimmy's Deli and then paid for alcoholic drinks in the bar across from the crime scene, then you ate breakfast at the diner across from the motel and flew out at eleven. Tell us we are wrong."

"So what? That doesn't prove a damn thing!"

"So you admit to being in Boston at the time of your daughter's death?" Jane asks, clarifying his own implication of being there. 

"Yeah, I was in Boston. I found out she could be there and went to look for her." 

"So why lie about it if you had only gone to Boston to look for her?" Vince queries. 

"Because I knew how it would look to you people, that's why!" 

"Did you find Rebecca?" He asks as he flicks through the paperwork. 

"I tried and tried, but I couldn't find her. I tried everywhere I could think of, but nobody knew her. Nobody had heard of her."

"So you just left and went back home?" Vince wonders out loud. 

"Yes, I left and came back home. There was no point in searching anymore for her there because it was a dead end." 

"That's strange because we have evidence that proves that you were did find Rebecca." Jane interrupts, having wanted to get to this part since picking him up. "You met with Rebecca at the bar, had a few drinks and then you followed her into the alleyway and then you killed her."

"That's lies! It's a filthy lie!" 

"Then how do you explain that trace fibres such as hair and skin were found on her clothing and under her nails?" Rizzoli quizzes him more. "How do you explain that?"

"You're lying. You people will do anything to arrest or convict the wrong person. It's happened before and i'll have your jobs for this. You people have no right to accuse me without facts."

"The facts are that you came to Boston because you found her and you killed her. So it's up to you to tell us why." Korsak adds and slides the copies of the forensic reports across the table. "Have a read of these." 

The colour in Raymond Tait's face changes a few times as he reads the evidence against him. He has been put at the scene and he can't seem to talk his way out of it. 

"You also laundered your clothing from that night, then you got it professionally cleaned. But we were able to get traces of blood in the fabric that is a match for Rebecca." Vince starts putting the pressure again.

"Why don't you just admit what everyone already knows?" Jane adds more pressurs to the killer and abuser, and is visably shaken. "She was your daughter and for several years you abused her, broke that trust and got her pregnant. You made her get an abortion and then she ran away again until you found her in Boston. You found her and you killed her, didn't you? You murdered your own daughter. How will your wife feel about that?" 

"Okay! I'll admit it. I did it. I did it all, haply now?" 

"What exactly did you do, Mr Tait?" Korsak asks casually. "We havn't got all night."

"I found Rebecca and I killed her. I stabbed her until she was dead, got it? She won't ever be trouble again." 

"Is that why you killed her, because she was trouble?" Rizzoli mentions the possible theory. "Or was it because you wanted to be able to control her more because you found her?" 

"I killed her because.....Because....she knew too much. She already tried to tell people. I had to stop her. It must be an illness, what's wrong with me."

"What you are isn't an illness, you're just plain evil." Jane says and gets up from the chair. "You're going to prison, Tait. You're never going to see the light of day again and you deserve all you get. Officer, take him back to his cell." 

 

Unbeknown to Raymond Tait, his wife had been watching the entire interview in the next room. She had cried and had gotten angry, not even awars of her own actions as she lunged at him in the corridor. Shirley gouged at his face and kneed him between the legs, causing him to fall over in pain as she kicked and spat viciousness at him. Even when she was led away, Rizzoli and Korsak could still head her hysterical cries from down the corridor. Her husband was taken to his cell and locked in while the official processes took place. He would have to get used to being told when to talk, when to eat and when to do anything. He would live by strict rules and obey them or suffer the consequences. Raymond Tait would become predator into prey once the other inmates found out his crime, which they would on the prison grapevine. His life would be over.

 

That evening, after a very long and tiring day, the two Boston detectives settle for a few stong drinks. Tomorrow they would be flying back to Boston and the case would always stay with them to some extent. With the paperwork in order and the killer behind bars, the world is safe from the Raymond Tait's who had done what they could go destroy it. 

 

Back in Boston, Rizzoli and Korsak biefly celebrate the outcome of the case. They had nailed a monster and a killer, with whoever is left to try and live whatever life they can .


	11. Chapter 11

"Okay, so what's going on?" Jane asks Maura and Frost impatiently.

"I found trace evidence on Rebecca's body, fibres and hairs. The comparison has come back, with the help from the sample at the abortion clinic." Maura answers, looking into the camera. "The trace evidence is confirmed to be skin cells and hair from Raymond Tait."

"Which means he was with her either before she died or when she died." Korsak adds.

"Exactly. We also managed to hurry up the scrapings from underneath Rebecca Tait's fingernails and again they confirm that she had some sort of struggle with her father." The M.E answers. "And i'm willing to be certain that he has some kind of scratches or abrasions to his skin caused by her scratching him."

"This is good because now we have evidence that he was with her before she died." Rizzoli agrees. 

"That's not all, Jane." Frost cuts in. "We found another diary and the last entry was written the day she died."

"What does it say?" Jane asks eagerly. 

"She wrote in her diary that her father had made contact and was in Boston. He claimed that he wanted to talk to her, bring her home." The detective in Boston explains. "We have records of his flights in and out, where he stayed and where he ate and spent money shopping. He arrived the night before the meeting and left the morning after she was killed." 

"Jesus." Vince mumbles, rubbing his eyes. "So we're sure Tait killed his daughter?" 

"Absolutely." Maura says. "And in the motel room, there was a stub for a dry cleaners on Tipton avenue, a full set of clothing, including shoes was asked to be cleaned thoroughly and it was never collected. We tested the clothes and even though it has been cleaned by chemicals, there was enough blood stains in the fibres to match the blood to a profile." 

"And it's Rebecca's?" Jane asks and Maura nods.

"And we have CCTV putting Raymond Tait at the dry cleaners and handing over the bag of clothing. We spoke to the attendant who he spoke to and she got the clothes clean." Barry explains. "He wanted to make sure there wasn't any evidence to find."

"Good work, Frost." Korsak says and hears a small cough from Maura. "And Dr Isles."

"Let's go nail this son of a bitch." Jane says and gets up from the desk and collects all the paperwork from the fax machine that Frost sent. 

 

Korsak and Rizzoli are ecstatic about the recent developments and they are thrilled that they can put the evidence to Raymond Tait. So far he has still declined an attorney to be present and already they've spoken to his wife, explaining that she can't see her husband until he has answered a few more questions. Shirley Tait is aware that something is wrong and that's why she can't speak to Raymond. She is angry, she is devastated that he could do such a thing to their daughter and then everything starts to make sense. Now she suspects the reason why Raymond was so insistent to move from their home and why he made a show of trying to control Rebecca. It's all starting to make sense and she feels guilty for not noticing what was going on in her own home. 

Jane and Vince enter the interview room and share a glance at Raymond Tait's defiance. He had refused to eat the meal provided in custody and had demanded to be released as he hasn't done anything. He looks up at them with a smirk and they are there to wipe that smirk off his face.

"Mr Tait, sorry for the delay but there's been some developments." Korsak says as he turns on the tape and states that they are continuing the interview. 

"It's about time, you know. I do have other things to do than sit here and wait for you people to get your facts straight." 

"That's interesting, because we have a few more questions for you." Vince says. "Where were you when your daughtet was murdered?" 

"Are you people being serious?"

"Just answer the question." Korsak replies.

"I was at home with my wife. We ate a dinner of roast pork and all the trimmings. Happy?" 

"That's interesting." Jane cuts in and leans on her arms. "Because we have new evidence to prove that you were actually in Boston when she was murdered." 

"Don't be ridiculous! I was at home with Shirley!" 

"We know you're not telling us the truth here, Tait. We know for a fact that you were in Boston at the time of your daughter's murder." Korsak answers. "We know for fact that you flew into Boston the night before your daughter was murdered, stayed at the Happy Snooze motel, ate dinner at Jimmy's Deli and then paid for alcoholic drinks in the bar across from the crime scene, then you ate breakfast at the diner across from the motel and flew out at eleven. Tell us we are wrong."

"So what? That doesn't prove a damn thing!"

"So you admit to being in Boston at the time of your daughter's death?" Jane asks, clarifying his own implication of being there. 

"Yeah, I was in Boston. I found out she could be there and went to look for her." 

"So why lie about it if you had only gone to Boston to look for her?" Vince queries. 

"Because I knew how it would look to you people, that's why!" 

"Did you find Rebecca?" He asks as he flicks through the paperwork. 

"I tried and tried, but I couldn't find her. I tried everywhere I could think of, but nobody knew her. Nobody had heard of her."

"So you just left and went back home?" Vince wonders out loud. 

"Yes, I left and came back home. There was no point in searching anymore for her there because it was a dead end." 

"That's strange because we have evidence that proves that you were did find Rebecca." Jane interrupts, having wanted to get to this part since picking him up. "You met with Rebecca at the bar, had a few drinks and then you followed her into the alleyway and then you killed her."

"That's lies! It's a filthy lie!" 

"Then how do you explain that trace fibres such as hair and skin were found on her clothing and under her nails?" Rizzoli quizzes him more. "How do you explain that?"

"You're lying. You people will do anything to arrest or convict the wrong person. It's happened before and i'll have your jobs for this. You people have no right to accuse me without facts."

"The facts are that you came to Boston because you found her and you killed her. So it's up to you to tell us why." Korsak adds and slides the copies of the forensic reports across the table. "Have a read of these." 

The colour in Raymond Tait's face changes a few times as he reads the evidence against him. He has been put at the scene and he can't seem to talk his way out of it. 

"You also laundered your clothing from that night, then you got it professionally cleaned. But we were able to get traces of blood in the fabric that is a match for Rebecca." Vince starts putting the pressure again.

"Why don't you just admit what everyone already knows?" Jane adds more pressurs to the killer and abuser, and is visably shaken. "She was your daughter and for several years you abused her, broke that trust and got her pregnant. You made her get an abortion and then she ran away again until you found her in Boston. You found her and you killed her, didn't you? You murdered your own daughter. How will your wife feel about that?" 

"Okay! I'll admit it. I did it. I did it all, haply now?" 

"What exactly did you do, Mr Tait?" Korsak asks casually. "We havn't got all night."

"I found Rebecca and I killed her. I stabbed her until she was dead, got it? She won't ever be trouble again." 

"Is that why you killed her, because she was trouble?" Rizzoli mentions the possible theory. "Or was it because you wanted to be able to control her more because you found her?" 

"I killed her because.....Because....she knew too much. She already tried to tell people. I had to stop her. It must be an illness, what's wrong with me."

"What you are isn't an illness, you're just plain evil." Jane says and gets up from the chair. "You're going to prison, Tait. You're never going to see the light of day again and you deserve all you get. Officer, take him back to his cell." 

 

Unbeknown to Raymond Tait, his wife had been watching the entire interview in the next room. She had cried and had gotten angry, not even awars of her own actions as she lunged at him in the corridor. Shirley gouged at his face and kneed him between the legs, causing him to fall over in pain as she kicked and spat viciousness at him. Even when she was led away, Rizzoli and Korsak could still head her hysterical cries from down the corridor. Her husband was taken to his cell and locked in while the official processes took place. He would have to get used to being told when to talk, when to eat and when to do anything. He would live by strict rules and obey them or suffer the consequences. Raymond Tait would become predator into prey once the other inmates found out his crime, which they would on the prison grapevine. His life would be over.

 

That evening, after a very long and tiring day, the two Boston detectives settle for a few stong drinks. Tomorrow they would be flying back to Boston and the case would always stay with them for some time.. With the paperwork in order and the killer behind bars, the world is safe from Raymond Tait's who had done what they could go destroy it. 

 

Back in Boston, Rizzoli and Korsak biefly celebrate the outcome of the case. They had nailed a monster and a killer, serving justice to someone who had so far managed to evade it. Raymond Tait finally revealed his dirty secret, confessing to years of sexually abusing his daughter and admitted killing her when she threatened to tell her mother. Shirley Tait had barged into the interview room and attacked her husband for what he had done to their daughter. Shirley Tait vowed that she would tell everyone what kind of man her husband was and by completely severing ties with him, he realised that he was all alone, his biggest fear. 

On the eighteenth of August, the trial began and lasted only three days of giving evidence. Raymond Tait had pled guilty and the jury returned with a unanimous guilty verdict. On the third of September, Raymond Tait was sentenced to two life sentences and an additional fifty years for the catalogue of abuse he carried out. Raymond Tait would die behind bars.


End file.
